*!*> 


3  H 


University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


: 


' 


I^V 


#** 


f-  &  ? 


2.  3  3  5" 


-  *>  * 


. 


Lillian  Simmons 

or 
The    Conflict  of  Sections 


A    STORY  BY 

OTIS  M.  SHACKELFORD,  A.  B. 

Author  of,  A  Dream  of  Freedom  Realized,  Seeking 
the  Best,  and  Other  Essays  and  Poems. 


ILLUSTRATED 

by 
William  Hamilton 


BURTON  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

Publishers  and  Book  Sellers 
KANSAS  CITY,  MISSOURI 


Copyright  1915 

by 
OTIS  M.  SHACKELFORD 


To  a  departed  father,  to  a  beloved  mother, 
to  devoted  sisters  and,  brothers;  is  this  volume 
lovingly  dedicated  by, 

THE  AUTOR. 


PREFACE 

In  our  travels,  North  and  South,  we  find 
among  our  people  certain  social  evils  and  false 
notions  of  life,  which  need  to  be  corrected. 
Unity  of  action,  and  of  opinion,  in  all  sections  of 
this  country,  is  absolutely  necessary,  if  we 
would  progress  in  social  and  business  uplift. 
And  in  order  to  call  attention  to  many  of  our 
short  comings  and  things  which  tend  to  stint  our 
growth,  as  a  race,  or  nation,  we  write  this  story 
of  "Lillian  Simmons"  or  "The  Conflict  of  Sec 
tions." 

It  is  based  upon  some  of  the  vital  questions 
and  problems  of  the  day. 

It  is  a  love  story  which  creates  interest  and 
claims  the  attention,  and  at  the  same  time 
touches  upon  the  various  phrases  of  the  race 
problem  in  a  pleasing  yet  subtle  way.  Separate 
schools,  the  "Jim  Crow  Car,"  segregation  in  its 
many  forms,  and  other  things  pertaining  to  the 
welfare  of  the  race,  are  discussed  in  turn. 

Our  characters  are  clear  cut,  and  are  por 
trayed  in  an  intensely  human  way,  representing 
types  not  only  of  our  own  colored  race,  but  they 
7 


8  PREFACE 

are  typical  of  the  entire  human  family.  They 
are  true  to  life.  And  we  would  be  happy  could 
their  names  live  forever. 

But  for  this  we  do  not  hope.  We  do  hope 
however,  to  inspire  others  of  our  race  who  are 
literarily  inclined,  and  to  show  forth  the  great 
possibilities  in  this  new  field  of  endeavor.  We 
as  a  race  want  a  place  in  Literature.  We  want 
to  be  heroes  in  song  and  story.  We  want  to 
play  leading  roles  on  the  stage  and  in  book. 
We  want  to  stir  the  emotions  of  men.  We 
want  to  provoke  laughter,  tears  and  applause. 
We  are  tired  of  playing  the  foolish,  silly,  insigr 
nificant  part  as  given  to  us  by  the  literature  of 
other  races.  And  we  think  the  time  has  come 
for  us  to  take  this  line  of  work  in  hand. 

The  soil  of  the  Negro  literary  field  is  in 
deed  rich  and  abounds  in  vast  tracts,  from 
which  material  for  history,  song,  and  story 
may  be  gathered. 

We  hope  this  effort  will  inspire  the  boys 
and  girls  of  our  race,  who  are  being  turned  out 
of  our  High  Schools  and  Colleges  each  year,  and 
who  have  literary  taste  and  inclination,  to  write 
along  various  lines.  We  would  ask  them  to  use 
the  grammar,  the  rhetoric,  and  the  correct  En 
glish  which  they  have  mastered,  in  the  making 
of  a  literature  and  a  history  for  their  race,  in 


PREFACE  9 

creating  characters  and  heroes,  that  will  live 
long  after  they  are  dead. 

Take  the  stories  from  the  lips  of  the  old 
grandfathers  and  mothers,  and  with  the  skill 
which  many  of  the  young  people  posess,  polish 
them  up. 

They  will  make  interesting  reading  and  in 
a  few  years  from  now,  when  the  lips  of  the  old 
are  forever  sealed,  and  the  chance  for  obtaining 
much  authentic  history  is  forever  gone,  they 
will  be  of  great  value. 

We  hope  that  much  good  will  come  from 
our  effort.  We  invoke  the  good  will  and  sym 
pathy  of  our  readers.  May  our  purpose  inspire 
and  please  them  if  the  story  does  not. 

We  wish  to  thank  the  Burton  Publishing 
Company  for  suggestions  and  favors  shown, 
and  the  good  will  that  it  has  always  extended 
to  us.  We  highly  recommend  them  to  others 
who  may  have  work  like  this  to  be  done. 

We  also  wish  to  thank  Mr.  William  Hamil 
ton,  one  of  Missouri's  best  colored  artists  for 
illustrations.  With  his  talent  there  is  much 
good  that  he  can  do  for  his  race. 

And  last,  but  by  no  means  least,  we  wish  to 
thank  Mrs.  Eva  L.  Lewis,  of  Paducah,  Ky.,  for 
copying  our  manuscript  in  so  beautiful  a  hand 


10  PREFACE 

and  preparing  it  for  the  press. 

The  parts  that  these  people  have  played  in 
producing  "Lillian  Simmons,"  or  "The  Conflict 
of  Sections"  are  indispensable,  and  again  we 
thank  them. 

With  this  we  give  the  book  into  the  hands 
of  the  Public.  Let  them  use  it  as  they  will. 

THE  AUTHOR 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

Chapter  I    The  North  Against  the  South.  Page 

A  Fight  15 

II    Lillian  Simmons  25 

"      III    The  Newspaper  Article  38 

IV    The  Indignation  Meeting  47 

V    The  Warning  Heeded  65 

11      VI    Thwarted  79 

"     VII    The  Two  Arguments  88 

VIII     Reverses   For    the   Simmons 

Family  97 

"      IX    A  Teacher  Wanted  102 

X    A  Business  Venture  114 

"      XI    Mrs.  Simmons  Rebuke  125 

"     XII    Christopher's  Grocery  Burns  132 

"    XIII    A  Colored  Town  137 

11    XIV    The  Jim  Crow  Car 

"     XV    Love  Letters  147 

"    XVI    George  Simmons  Arrest  153 

11 


12  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

Chapter  XVIII    Mrs.  Simmons  Visits  Page 

Charles  164 

XIX    A  Grave  Situation  173 

XX    Lillian's  Distress  177 

XXI    Lillian  at  Home  188 

XXII    The  Trial  188 

11     XXIII    The  Conclusion  204 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

1.  Seeking  an  opportuuity  to  land  a  Page 

telling  blow.  24 

2.  "When  you  cast  "flections  on  de 
Souf,  you  cast  'flections  on  me."  59 

3.  "I  have  always  been  averse  to  Colored 

schools  and  Colored  teachers."        103 

4.  Charles  Christopher's  Grocery  store 

was  in  flames.  134 

5.  "My  case  has  been  tried  and  settled 

in  the  Court  of  Courts."  193 

6.  "Come  and  meet  my  folks,"  said  George, 

I  want  them  to  know  you."  198 

7.  The  North  and  South  united  by  the 

ties  of  business  and  by  the  ties  of  love.  207 
13 


CHAPTER  I 


THE  NORTH  AGAINST  THE  SOUTH 

Charles  Christopher,  a  young  colored  man 
of  the  South,  after  having  been  knocked  and 
tossed  about  in  various  ways,  found  himself 
many  miles  from  home  among  strange  people 
with  strange  ways  and  strange  environments. 
The  country  contrasted  with  his  own  in  many 
ways.  Physical  conditions  were  different — as 
were  the  customs  and  manners  and  brogue  in 
speech.  Hence  for  a  long  time  he  was  at  sea. 
He  had  lost  his  bearings  as  it  were. 

Having,  however,  found  employment  in  a 
Northern  hotel,  for  it  was  in  the  North  he  was 
now  located,  he  was  thrown  in  company  with 
young  men  whose  traiding  was  different  to  his, 
and  which  was  in  keeping  with  the  section  in 
which  they  lived. 

He  readily  became  acquainted  with  them 
and  soon  they  were  on  very  friendly  and  famil 
iar  terms.  He  did  not  know  though  how  to  take 
their  jokes  and  slurs  caat  at  him  and  the  sunny 
15 


16  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

country  in  which  he  lived  and  loved. 

They  were  thoughtless  young  men,  and 
knew  not  how  deeply  they  were  piercing  the 
heart  of  their  new  comrade  with  their  satire. 
They  did  not  know  that  Charles  Christopher, 
though  balked  and  checked  by  poverty,  had  a 
fine  sensitive  nature;  that  his  thoughts  were 
pure  and  his  ideals  were  lofty;  that  he  had  a 
high  aim  in  life;  that  it  was  this  high  aim  which 
had  led  him  on  step  by  step  until  he  had  com 
pleted  his  education  in  one  of  the  Southern 
Colleges. 

Not  one  of  his  companions  was  equal  to  him 
in  book  lore.  But  they  were  ignorant  of  his 
preparation  in  many  ways,  for  a  great  and  use 
ful  life.  They  felt  themselves  superior  to  him 
because  they  were  born  and  raised  in  the  North. 
This  argument  alone  they  thought  sufficient  to 
establish  their  superiority.  And  to  tell  the  truth 
this  was  the  only  argument  they  had  in  their 
favor  when  compared  with  Charles  Christopher. 

One  morning  after  hours  he  went  down  by 
the  river  side,  as  was  a  habit  of  his.  to  watch  the 
distant  boats  and  water  craft  as  they  plied  to 
and  fro  and  up  and  down  stream.  While  thus 
engaged  his  attention  was  attracted  by  loud  and 


THE  NORTH  AGAINST  THE  SOUTH      17 

angry  voices  not  far  from  him.  He  arose  and 
walked  leisurely  in  the  direction  of  the  seeming 
quarrel. 

"You  Southern  niggers  come  up  here  and 
spoil  our  privileges,"  were  the  words  he  dis 
tinctly  heard  as  he  approached.  ' 'There  was  a 
time  when  we  could  eat  in  any  restaurant  in 
town  and  now  we  are  barred  from  all  down 
town  places  except  Jim  Allen's.  We  used  to  sit 
where  we  pleased  in  the  theatres;we  used  to  be 
permitted  to  go  to  any  of  the  Parks,  and  now 
that's  all  over.  Just  because  you  Southern 
people  have  come  up  here  with  your  ignorance 
and  roughness.  Why  I  have  taken  my  compa 
ny  many  a  time  to  the  "Grand,"  and  sat  in  the 
box  on  the  first  floor.  I  can't  do  it  now." 

At  this  juncture  Charles  approached  the 
bunch  of  young  men  and  calmly  asked  in  what 
way  had  the  Southern  negroes  spoiled  their 
privileges. 

"Why  hello  Charles,"  said  the  speaker  who 
so  passionately  held  the  "floor."  ''Where  did 
you  spring  from.  I  suppose  you  are  here  to 
champion  the  cause  of  the  Southern  darkies," 
said  he  sarcastically.  "Well  we  are  pretty  good 
friends  Charlie,  but  you  are  from  the  South  and 
I  must  tell  you  the  truth." 


18  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

The  speaker  above  mentioned  and  who 
seemed  to  be  the  leader  in  the  harangue,  was 
George  Simmons,  whose  father  was  in  fair  cir 
cumstances,  having  served  several  years  as 
clerk  in  the  City  Treasurer's  office,  and  who, 
in  his  life  time,  had  received  good  salaries  at 
various  other  employments.  He  owned  his 
own  home  which  was  very  beautiful  and  well 
kept  and  located  in  the  very  best  part  of  the 
city.  His  family  consisted  of  his  wife  and  two 
children.  George,  who  was  now  twenty-two 
years  of  age,  and  his.  daughter  Lillian,  now 
blooming  into  womanhood  at  eighteen. 

Both  children  had  finished  in  the  High 
School.  Both  had  received  honors  at  the  close 
of  their  school  career  and  were  well  known  in 
the  city,  especially  among  the  school  people. 
George  boasted  of  having  "starred"  on  the  Foot 
Ball  team,  and  Lillian  had  played  substitute  on 
the  Basket  Ball  team.  Their  records  for  scolar- 
ship  were  good  and  they  were  very  popular. 

And  it  was  George  with  his  many  accom 
plishments,  with  his  record  in  the  High  School 
and  his  knowledge  of  existing  previous  condi 
tions,  who  now  confronted  Charles  Christopher, 
worked  up  to  a  high  pitch  of  excitement,  and 
prepared  to  tell  him  the  plain  truth. 


\ 


THE  NORTH  AGAINST  THE  SOUTH   19 

George  Simmons  was  a  handsome  youth  of 
medium  build,  graceful  and  athletic  in  his  move 
ments.  He  was  what  might  be  called  a  light 
brown  skin  in  complexion,  and  had  dark  hair, 
not  of  the  finest  grade  which  nature  gives  to 
many  colored  people,  neither  was  it  of  the 
coarser  kind,  but  it  was  such  as  was  very  be 
coming  to  his  complexion.  He  also  had  an  air 
of  freedom  and  independence  about  him  which 
is  usually  in  evidence  with  Northern  born  and 
Northern  educated  colored  people.  His  training 
and  high  spirit  showed  perceptibly  when  he 
spoke  with  flashing  eye  to  Charles  Christopher. 
"In  what  way  have  they  spoiled  our  privi 
leges?  Why  I  can  mention  a  dozen  instances. 
Five  years  ago  old  Josh  Greene  came  up  here 
from  the  South,  and  the  first  week  he  was  here 
he  got  smart.  He  went  down  to  the  park  and 
sat  down  at  one  of  the  refreshment  tables,  and 
because  one  of  the  white  waitresses  was  a  little 
slow  about  waiting  on  him  he  became  insolent, 
declaring  that  he  was  in  there  first,  that  his 
money  was  as  good  as  anybodys,  that  he  was 
not  in  the  South  now,  and  that  he  must  be 
served  at  once.  He  raised  so  much  Cain  that 
they  did  serve  him,  but  declared  he  would  be 
the  last  colored  person  served  in  that  place. 


20  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

"And  since  that  time  no  one  of  our  race  has 
been  served  there.  Same  thing  happened  when 
Pete  Williams  got  in  a  fight  with  the  manager 
of  the  boat  house.  He  went  out  in  a  boat  and 
stayed  over  time  and  did  not  want  to  pay. 
When  he  returned  the  manager  demanded  pay 
for  over  time.  His  reply  was,  "If  you  get  pay 
out  of  me,  you  will  have  to  take  it  out  of  my 
hide,"  whereupon  the  manager  went  after  him 
and  an  awful  fight  ensued,  in  which  the  owner 
of  the  boat  house  was  fearfully  cut.  The  result 
was  that  all  negroes  were  barred  from  the 
privileges  of  the  park.  Two  years  ago  a  drunk 
en  Negro  from  the  South  was  sitting  in  the  par 
quet  of  the  Temple  Theatre  and  raised  a  disturb 
ance,  yelling  and  applauding  at  the  wrong  time. 
He  didn't  know  how  to  appreciate  a  good  play, 
He  laughed  outright  during  a  death-bed  scene, 
and  when  an  usher  called  him  down  he  got  sore 
and  wanted  to  fight.  After  that  the  colored  peo 
ple  had  to  sit  in  the  gallery  to  themselves  in  the 
Temple  Theatre  and  it  was  not  long  before  the 
other  theatre's  followed  the  Temple's  example. 

"And  then  you  ask  in  what  way  have  the 
Southern  niggers  spoiled  our  privileges.  If  I 
had  my  way  I  would  have  a  law  passed  prohibit 
ing  this  obnoxious  influx  from  the  South." 


THE  NORTH  AGAINST  THE  SOUTH  2! 

At  this  point  in  George  Simmons'passionate 
speech  Charles  Christopher  interrupted: 

"You  Northern  people  have  yet  to  learn 
this  lesson,  George  Simmons,  that  white  people 
are  white  people,  that  blood  is  thicker  than 
water,  that  the  racial  instinct  will  assert  itself. 
That  one  bad  negro  cannot  spoil  the  privileges 
of  a  community  of  good  negroes,  unless  the 
prejudice  in  the  hearts  of  the  other  race  is 
aroused.  They  seek  the  slightest  excuse  for 
humiliating  and  imposing  hardships  upon  our 
people.  Why  not  seize  these  disturbers  by  the 
nape  of  the  neck  and  the  seat  of  the  pants  and 
hurl  them  bodily  through  the  gates  and  doors  of 
their  places  of  amusements,  thus  making  an  ex 
ample  of  such  offenders  for  all  time  to  come? 
This  would  be  the  proper  way  to  proceed. 
This  is  what  they  do  to  their  own  offenders,  and 
this  would  show  respect  for  deserving,  well- 
trained  individuals  of  all  races.  Why  bar  the 
good  on  account  of  the  bad.  Why  cast  them  all 
on  a  heap  together  and  treat  them  all  as  un 
worthy?  Tell  me  why,  George  Simmons,  in  a 
straight-forward,  candid  manner  the  reason 
why?  Or  have  you  ever  tried  to  figure  it  out?" 

At  this  juncture  Charles  paused  for  a  re 
ply.  'There  is  but  one  reply  George,  if  you  are 


22  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

honest  enough  to  make  it,  or  if  you  have  sense 
enough  to  see  it.  It  is  simply  this:  that  prejudice 
is  rapidly  growing  all  over  this  country.  It  is 
taking  or  has  taken  deep  root  in  your  city.  This 
is  inevitable  and  it  would  have  come  sooner  or 
later  regardless  of  the  conduct  of  these  so-styled 
bad  Southern  "niggers."  Like  the  wolf  that 
wanted  to  devour  the  innocent  lamb  and  for  an 
excuse  charged  it  with  having  muddled  up  his 
water  in  the  stream  where  he  was  to  drink. 
The  lamb  begged  pardon  and  showed  him  where 
it  was  impossible  for  him  to  muddy  up  his  drink 
ing  water  since  he  was  several  yards  below 
where  he,  the  wolf,  had  to  drink.  The  wolf 
could  find  no  legal  excuse  for  devouring  the  in 
nocent  lamb,  so  he  pounced  upon  it  without  an 
excuse.  So,  through  prejudice  with  or  without  an 
excuse,  these  hardships  are  inflicted  upon  you." 
"Oh  no,  you  can't  tell  me  that,"  said  George 
Simmons  impatiently.  "For  instance  in  the 
High  School,  colored  boys  have  always  played 
on  the  Foot  Ball  team  and  the  Base  Ball  team. 
Colored  girls  have  always  played  right  along  by 
the  side  of  white  girls  on  the  Basket  Ball  team. 
I  was  'Class  Orator'  of  my  class.  Frank  Mack 
was  Valedictorian  of  his  class.  Each  year 
honors  have  been  distributed  according  to  the 


THE  NORTH  AGAINST  THE  SOUTH  23 

merits  of  individual  scholars,  regardless  of  race, 
color  or  previous  conditions.  We  have  attend 
ed  balls  and  parties  given  by  white  people  here. 
And  I  am  convinced  of  this  fact  that,  wherever 
this  rough,  ignorant  and  uncouth  class  of  Ne 
groes  can  be  controlled  or  held  at  bay,  the 
whites  of  this  section  are  fair  and  will  exhibit 
no  prejudice!  My  father  has  been  clerk  for  ten 
years — And  I  don't  care  to  discuss  this  subject 
with  you  any  further.  You  had  better  carry 
your  Southern  ideas  and  prejudices  out  of  this 
town.  We  don't  need  you  to  teach  us  any  les 
sons.  And  my  advice  to  you  is  to  'beat  it.' 
There  is  always  some  stray  Negro  coming  here 
advocating  separate  schools,  Negro  business, 
Negro  this  and  that,  scattering  seeds  of  pre 
judice  where  no  prejudice  exists.  And  I  am 
going  to  take  it  as  a  part  of  my  duty  to  stop  it. 
So  you  'beat  it'  out  of  this  town  as  soon  as  you 
can  arrange  to  do  so." 

Charles  Christopher  was  surprised  at 
George's  last  utterance  with  its  "background  of 
passion,"  to  use  a  President  Wilson  expression, 
but  he  was  not  nonplused  by  this  argument. 
He  knew  that  it  was  fallacious  and  he  was  pre 
pared  to  overthrow  it  if  George,  through  angry 
passion,  had  not  brought  the  discussion  to  an 


U  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

abrupt  close    by    an    intentional    insult.    The 
thrust  was  more  than  his  manhood  could  stand. 

"What  do  you  mean  George  Simmons?" 
His  large  eyes  fairly  gleaming  with  rage.  "You 
know  not  what  you  say.  Don't  you  know  I  had 
rather  obey  the  call  of  death  a  hundred  times 
than  submit  to  your  demand?  I  have  no  interest 
in  this  place,  but  I  shall  not  leave  until  it  pleases 
me  to  do  so.  As  to  this  insult  that  you  have 
directed  with  unerring  aim  at  me,  I  shall  not 
stand  it.  You  must  whip  me  right  now  for  I 
am  going  to  fight  you  with  all  the  strength  that 
is  in  my  body.  So  prepare." 

At  this  he  began  taking  off  his  coat.  By 
this  time  quite  a  crowd  of  loafers,  white  and 
colored  had  gathered,  and  were  eager  to  see 
what  promised  to  be  a  good  fight,  the  young 
men  being  evenly  matched  in  size,  strength  and 
skill.  And  too,  each  had  friends  or  sympathizers 
in  the  crowd  as  was  evidenced  by  the  applause 
and  encouragement  that  each  received. 

In  less  time  than  it  takes  to  relate  it,  the 
young  men  were  standing  before  each  other, 
hatless  and  coatless,  in  true  pugilistic  attitude, 
seeking  an  opportunity  to  land  a  telling  blow. 


Seeking  an  opportunity  to  land  a  telling  blow. 


CHAPTER  II 


LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

Lillian  Simmons  was  a  beautiful  brown 
skin  maid  of  eighteen  summers.  And  this 
particular  morning  as  she  stood  on  the  front 
veranda  of  her  father's  stately  home,  with  eyes 
that  sparkled  and  black  wavy  hair  that  glistened 
in  the  sunlight,  falling  in  a  thick  cluster  of  curls 
about  her  girlish  neck,  she  looked  more  like  the 
nymphs  or  fairies  of  the  woods  than  she  did  the 
ordinary  mortal  at  home. 

Lillian,  it  must  be  admitted,  was  beautiful 
to  an  extraordinary  degree,  but  she  was  not 
spoiled.  She  was  handled  and  tutored  by  a  very 
sensible  mother  who,  though  she  loved  her 
children,  knew  too  much  about  them  to  spoil 
them. 

She  did  not  believe  in  lavishing  luxuries 
upon  them,  but  she  did  believe  in  furnishing 
such  things,  as  would  promote  the  health  of 
the  body  and  the  growth  of  the  mind.  Unlike 
most  colored  parents,  she  realized  that  the  mind 
25 


26  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

was  the  most  important  part  about  her  children, 
and  she  did  not  hesitate  to  purchase  books,  in 
structive  games  and  toys;  things  that  would 
cause  her  children  to  think  and  study  and  do 
much  toward  their  own  self-developement.  In 
other  words  she  did  not  starve  the  mind  at  the 
expense  of  the  body.  She  knew  that  both  must 
be  fed. 

Thus  Mrs.  Simmons  had  brought  to  the 
threshold  of  womanhood,  a  lovable,  beautiful, 
sensible,  accomplished  girl.  A  girl  full  of  health 
and  vigor  and  buoyancy  of  spirit.  A  girl  whose 
training  had  not  been  neglected  in  any  line. 
Cooking,  sewing  and  piano  playing  were  her 
accomplishments  and  she  was  very  proud  of  her. 
No  young  woman  could  have  a  greater  asset  to 
character  or  a  greater  aid  to  future  life  and 
happiness  than  she,  with  qualifications  like 
these, 

This  morning  she  had  just  finished  her  por 
tion  of  the  housework  and  had  gone  out  on  the 
veranda  to  do  deep  breathing  and  other  exer 
cises  that  she  had  found  beneficial  to  health. 
Through  these  exercises  she  had  learned  the 
real  secret  of  how  to  be  healthful  and  beautiful. 

She  remained  there  some  time  basking  in 
the  June  sunshine,  gazing  at  nature  everywhere 


LILLIAN  SIMMONS  27 

arrayed  in  her  most    beautiful    and    attractive 
garments. 

"What  is  so  rare  as  a  day  in  June? 
Then,  if  ever,  comes  perfect  days; 

Whether  we  look  or  whether  we  listen 
We  hear  life  murmurs  or  see  it  glisten." 

She  repeated  to  herself  the  above  quotation, 
which  was  quite  befitting.  "Isn't  that  true?" 
she  said,  as  she  stooped  and  patted  the  large  St. 
Bernard  dog  on  the  head,  that  lay  happily  at 
her  feet.  Ted  never  moved  from  his  position, 
with  his  head  resting  between  his  paws,  but 
rolled  his  eyes  effectionately  and  wagged  his 
bushy  tail  responsively,  as  if  he  understood  her 
words  and  appreciated  her  happy,  poetic  frame 
of  mind. 

"You  big  noble  boy,"  she  murmured,  and 
with  a  cheerful  laugh  she  displayed  an  even  set 
of  ivory-like  teeth,  of  which  any  queen  might  be 
proud.  Then  with  a  hop,  skip  and  jump  she 
hastened  into  the  house  to  the  side  of  her 
mother. 

"Mother  this  is  a  grand  day.  I  feel  like  strol 
ling!  If  I  were  a  poet  I  would  write  something. 
I  am  going  to  dress  and  go  to  the  Public  Library 
and  get  a  good  book,  may  I?"  Her  mother  read 
ily  assented  and  it  was  not  long  before  she  was 


28  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

hastening  along  the  shady  side    of    the   street 
toward  the  new  Carnegie  Library. 

So  pleased  was  she  with  the  fresh  morning 
air,  perfumed  as  it  were  with  blossoms  from 
natures  hot  house,  and  with  song  and  twitter  of 
birds  and  the  steady  rythmic  flow  of  the  majes 
tic  river,  that  she  decided  to  prolong  her  walk, 
and  take  the  path  that  led  along  the  river  front. 

She  had  not  gone  far,  however,  when  she 
saw  a  crowd  of  men  and  boys  at  a  distance  and 
heard  yells  and  clapping  of  hands.  She  continued 
on  her  way  until  she  had  almost  reached  the 
place  of  excitement.  "Hit  him  in  the  neck! 
Kill  him!  Now  you  got  him!"  and  other  ex 
pressions  told  her  that  there  must  be  a  fight  in 
progress.  At  this  moment  a  small  boy  came  run 
ning  to  her  exclaiming,  "Miss  Lillian!  Your 
brother  George  is  fighting.  Him  and  Charley 
Christopher  are  having  it!  You  had  better  come 
and  stop  it.  He's  hurting  George.  George  is 
just  a  bleedin!" 

When  Lillian  came  upon  the  scene,  the  boys 
were  fighting  like  demons.  Each,  during  his 
school  career,  had  trained  in  athletic  sports,and 
was  well  prepared  in  self-defense.  Both  knew 
the  rough  tactics  resorted  to  in  Foot  Ball  games 
and  they  employed  them  in  this  awful  fight. 


LILLIAN  SIMMONS  29 

Both  knew  how  to  punch  in  a  pugilistic  way  and 
they  were  doing  so.  Side  stepping,  swinging 
and  upper-cutting  was  indulged  in  to  the  great 
delight  and  satisfaction  of  the  crowd.  It  was 
really  a  pretty  fight  to  those  who  loved  a  con 
test  and  knew  anything  about  pugilism.  And 
but  for  the  timely  arrival  of  Lillian  it  would  per 
haps  have  been  a  fight  to  the  finish. 

The  crowd  slunk  back  when  she  approach 
ed,  most  of  them  knowing  that  she  was  George's 
sister,  and  dropped  their  heads  and  began  to 
walk  away. 

' 'Shame  on  you  George,'"  she  said,  rushing 
in  and  pulling  him  by  the  shoulders.  "What  on 
earth  is  the  matter  with  you?" 

"Let  loose  sister,  I  am  going  to  kill  this 
Southern  nigger,"  said  George,who  was  breath 
ing  heavily  and  bleeding  profusely  at  the  nose 
and  mouth. 

"You  are  going  right  home  with  me.  I  am 
ashamed  of  you.  What  will  papa  and  mama 
say  when  they  know  of  this?" 

George  was  too  tired  or  nervous  to  reply. 
Charles  Christopher,  embarrased  and  chagrined 
at  sight  of  George  Simmon's  beautiful  sister 
turned  with  hung-down  head  to  his  hat  and 
coat,  picked  them  up  and  walked  away. 


30  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

George  made  one  more  effort  as  if  to  get  to 
him,  then  giving  over  to  the  remonstrances  of 
his  sister  reached  for  his  coat  and  hat  and  put 
ting  them  on,  remarked,  "This  is  not  done  with 
yet,  you  Southern  dog.  I'll  get  you  some  other 
day." 

The  fight  had  had  its  effect  on  him.  He 
was  considerably  bruised  and  beaten.  Both 
eyes  were  black  and  his  face  and  ears  were 
badly  swollen.  He  was  a  sorry  looking  spec 
tacle  with  his  face  and  hands  and  clothing  be 
smeared  with  blood,  as  he  passed  along  the 
street. 

After  reaching  home  he  attempted  to  ex 
plain  to  his  mother  and  sister  the  cause  of  the 
fight.  His  mother,  though  sorry  for  him,  was 
disgusted  on  account  of  his  hot-headedness  and 
his  method  of  getting  rid  of  Southern  negroes. 
She  too  felt  that  they  had  been  a  menace  to  the 
community,  and  shared  the  opinion  with  the 
other  Northern  people  that  they  were  the  cause 
of  much  of  the  prejudice  that  was  now  cropping 
out  in  their  town.  But  being  a  very  conserva 
tive  woman  and  not  given  much  to  criticism  or 
to  the  judging  of  others,  had  not  given  the  mat 
ter  very  deep  thought  or  consideration,  had  no 
suggestion  whatever  to  offer. 


LILLIAN  SIMMONS  31 

George  declared  that  he  was  going  to  con 
tinue  along  the  lines  that  he  had  started  until 
every  objectionable  character  was  gone.  He 
said  that  he  had  many  staunch  friends  that 
thought  as  he  did,  and  he  knew  that  they  would 
help  him. 

"I  don't  know  that  I  would  take  so  much 
upon  myself,"  said  Lillian.  "You  may  get  the 
worst  of  it  Who  is  this  fellow  Christopher 
any  way?"  she  asked.  She  wished  to  know 
more  about  a  young  man  who  could  make  her 
big  strong  brother,  who  starred  on  the  Foot  Ball 
team  a  season  ago,  look  like  that. 

"Ah  he  is  one  of  them  smart  Alex' from  the 
South.  He  claims  to  be  a  College  graduate. 
Think  of  a  graduate  from  a  Negro  College." 

''I  was  talking  to  some  of  the  boys  about 
Southern  niggers  coming  up  here  and  spoiling 
our  privileges  and  he  took  it  up.  He  brought 
up  a  lot  of  his  Southern  talk  and  argument  and 
made  me  sore.  So  I  told  him  to  'beat  it'  out  of 
this  town  as  soon  as  he  could." 

"Why  you  didn't  tell  him  that,  did  you 
George." 

"I  certainly  did,"  said  George. 

"And  what  did  he  say?" 

"Oh,  he  got  dramatic  and  reared  himself 


32  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

back  and  said, 'I  had  rather  die  a  hundred  deaths 
than  to  acceed  to  your  demand;  you  have  insult 
ed  me,  so  now  you've  got  to  whip  me/  or  words 
to  that  effect.  So  we  started  from  there.  And 
if  you  had  not  come  up  and  interfered  I  would 
have  given  him  a  good  thrashing.  I  had  him 
going  and  all  I  wanted  was  to  land  one  more 
punch  to  make  him  take  the  count.  He  is  an 
awful  tough  guy  though,  but  I'll  get  him  yet." 

''Stay  out  of  trouble  George,"  said  his  moth 
er.  "Keep  away  from  such  people.  Nothing 
can  be  gained  by  associating  with  them.  You 
have  a  superior  education  and  a  superior  intel 
lect  and  you  should  use  them  for  something 
better  than  an  argument  or  a  street  brawl  with 
ignorant  people.  I  would  just  stay  away  from 
him  if  I  were  you." 

"Well  mother  if  I  let  him  off  now  he  will 
think  I  am  afraid  of  him.  He  has  already  said 
that  he  would  remain  here  as  long  as  he  pleased. 
Such  fellows  just  sow  prejudice.  They  have 
already  caused  us  to  be  barred  from  privileges 
in  the  parks.  They  have  been  the  cause  of  our 
segregation  in  the  theatres.  We  can't  eat  in  the 
down  town  restaurants  any  more;  and  the  next 
thing  you  know,  we  will  have  'Jim  Crow'  street 
cars  and  perhaps  separate  schools." 


LILLIAN  SIMMONS  33 

George  did  not  really  believe  that  'Jim 
Crow'  street  cars  would  be  instituted  in  the 
North.  But  desiring  to  make  his  arguments  ef 
fective,  and  to  increase  the  prejudice  in  the 
hearts  of  his  mother  and  sister  against  Southern 
colored  people,  he  magnified  probabilities  and 
possibilities. 

Then,  remembering  the  defiant  look  in 
Charles  Christopher's  eyes,  and  recalling  the 
questions,  that  had  underminded  his  own  here 
tofore,  formidable  arguments,  together  with  the 
ability,  which  he  had  shown  that  morning  to 
defend  himself,  and  to  resent  insult,  deep  down 
in  his  heart,  George  felt  that  for  the  time  he 
had  been  beaten.  He  was  no  quitter,  however, 
and  he  was  anxious  for  another  opportunity. 
He  was  by  no  means  convinced  that  Charles 
Christopher  was  his  master,  intellectually,  phys 
ically  or  in  any  other  way.  He  knew  though, 
that  the  Southern  element  in  his  city  was  quiet 
and  conservative,  only  because  they  lacked 
leadership.  That  they  had  gained  enough 
strength  in  late  years  to  advocate  and  put 
through  many  of  their  Southern  ideas,  in  con 
trast  to  the  Northern  ideas,  regarding  the  solu 
tion  of  the  race  problem.  And  he  felt  that  if 
Charles  Christopher  should  assume  the  leader- 


34  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

ship  of  that  element,  that  through  his  advocacy 
many  constitutional  rights  of  his  people  would 
be  denied.  So  he  concluded  that  he  would  nip 
the  thing  in  the  bud.  That  Charles  Christopher 
must  go. 

Lillian  said  no  more  as  it  was  her  day  to 
prepare  dinner.  And  she  knew  that  her  father 
would  be  in  soon. 

Mrs.  Simmons  looked  at  her  son  sympa 
thetically  and  said,  "You  had  better  go  now  and 
lie  down  awhile  on  the  couch  and  rest  yourself. 
We  will  tell  father  about  it  when  he  comes." 

Mrs.  Simmons,  good  woman  that  she  was, 
shared  in  the  belief  of  her  son,  and  in  her  heart 
sprang  a  great  dislike  for  Charles  Christopher, 
though  she  knew  nothing  of  him.  She  hated 
the  idea  of  separate  schools,  and  had  often  been 
heard  to  say,  that  she  would  rather  have  her 
children  grow  up  in  gross  ignorance,  than  to 
have  them  taught  in  separate  schools  by  color 
ed  teachers.  She  looked  upon  a  negro  college 
as  a  joke,  and  its  graduates  as  ignoramuses. 
And  if  Charles  Christopher  was  a  representa 
tive  of  such  a  school,  she  knew  that  he  could 
not  amount  to  very  much,  and  she  did  not  want 
her  son  to  associate  with  him  or  even  stoop  so 
low  as  to  quarrel  or  fight  with  him,  She  was 


LILLIAN  SIMMONS  35 

willing  though,  that  he  join  hands  with  others 
and  help  rid  the  community  of  this  Southern 
element,  if  such  a  thing  were  possible. 

When  Mr.  Simmons  came  she  took  the  re 
sponsibility  of  relating  to  him  what  had  hap 
pened  in  the  forenoon. 

He  was  much  wrought  up,  and  declared 
that  George  had  acted  just  right;  that  he  would 
stand  by  him  in  whatever  he  undertook.  He 
declared,  that  he  had  many  friends,  and  some 
influence  in  that  community,  and  that  he  would 
see  whether  this  young  upstart  from  the  South, 
could  remain  in  that  town  as  long  as  he  wanted 
to  or  not. 

He  would  notify  his  friends,  call  an  indig 
nation  meeting,  and  see  if  the  scamp  could  not 
be  started  a  little  sooner  than  he  desired. 

He  would  show  him  who  was  running  that 
town. 

Mr.  Simmons,  as  already  has  been  stated, 
was  clerk  in  the  City  Treasurer's  office,  He 
was  highly  respected  and  did  have  considera 
ble  influence.  He  was  looked  upon  as  the  lead 
er  of  his  people  in  the  city  and  usually  repre 
sented  them  on  the  civic  questions  that  per 
tained  to  their  interest.  And  in  this  case  it 
would  be  an  easy  matter  to  get  them  together, 
as  all  thought  much  the  same  as  he.  And 


36  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

those,  who  had  different  views,  were  silent, 
fearing  to  express  them,  lest  they  might  offend 
some  of  their  neighbors,  who  in  case  they  should 
would  make  life  in  the  community  a  burden  for 
them  in  the  future.  And  as  young  George  Sim 
mons  had  surmised,  it  would  take  some  one 
who  had  no  special  interest  in  the  community 
or  love,  or  respect  for  its  people,  to  lead  an  op 
position. 

So  Mr.  Simmons  felt  safe  in  calling  an  in 
dignation  meeting  for  the  purpose  of  denouncing 
the  objectionable  Southerner. 

When  he  was  through  eating  his  dinner,  he 
went  in  the  room  where  George  was  resting, 
and  asked  for  his  version  of  the  fight.  George 
told  him  all  about  it.  After  he  was  through, 
his  father  said,  "I  don't  blame  you,  I  am  going 
to  call  the  boys  together  soon  and  see  what 
can  be  done  about  it." 

"I  thank  you  very  much  father,"  said 
George,  "I  was  quite  sure  you  would  approve 
of  my  action." 

His  father  then  departed,  saying,  "I  will  see 
you  later  about  this  matter." 

Lillian,  whose  spirits  were  so  high  earlier 
that  morning,  and,  who  saw  so  much  beauty  in 
nature  and  life,  whose  poetic  soul  revelled  as  it 


LILLIAN  SIMMONS  37 

were,  in  what  bade  fair  to  be  a  perfect  day,  was 
now  sad  and  cast  down.  Her  heart  was  trou 
bled.  And  she  thought,  "0,  how  transitory  and 
fleeting  is  happiness." 

After  her  duties  of  the  noon  hour  were  fin 
ished,  she  went  into  the  room  where  her  broth 
er  lay,  and  tried  to  say  something  that  would 
comfort  him.  She  knew  that  if  he  were  not 
suffering  physical  pain,  his  pride  was  wounded. 
And  had  she  been  convinced  that  he  would  have 
conquered  the  young  Southerner,  she  would 
almost  wish  that  she  had  not  interfered.  She 
tried  to  feel  that  she  hated  Charles  Christopher, 
for  what  he  had  done  to  her  brother. 

The  rest  of  the  day  was  spent  in  meditating 
along  this  line  and  drawing  mental  pictures  of 
the  fight.  Even  to  the  setting  of  the  sun,  and 
after  George  had  recovered  himself  enough  to 
go  out  for  a  stroll,  she  was  still  thinking.  And 
thus  ended  a  well  begun  and  beautiful  June 
day  for  her. 


CHAPTER  III 


THE  NEWSPAPER  ARTICLE. 

Charles  Christopher,  save  for  a  few  scratch 
es,  and  a  black  eye,  was  none  the  worse  for  the 
fight.  There  was  to  him,  one  embarassing  and 
unpleasant  feature,  however.  The  one  that  he 
regretted  most;  and  that  was  the  appearance  of 
George's  beautiful  sister.  If  he  could  only 
meet  her,  and  apologize,  and  explain  things  to 
her,  he  would  be  satisfied.  But  he  knew  that 
this  would  be  impossible.  She  could  never 
know  his  side  of  the  story.  She  could  never 
understand  the  cause  for  which  he  fought. 
There  was  no  way  for  her  to  learn  his  true 
worth.  His  heart  was  big,  and  broad,  and  as 
true  as  steel.  But  she  would  go  on  through 
life,  mistrusting  him,  despising  him,  for  what 
she  considered  a  great  wrong  to  her  brother, 
and  an  insult  to  the  community.  All  that  was 
possible  for  him  to  do,  was,  to  long  to  meet  her 
and  explain.  But  he  could  not  hope  to  do  so. 
38 


THE  NEWSPAPER  ARTICLE  39 

He  now  quickened  his  steps,  for  it  was  al 
most  time  to  serve  dinner  at  the  hotel,  where 
he  was  employed  as  a  waiter.  Putting  on  his 
apron  he  took  his  station  at  his  table,  and  the 
first  person  to  be  seated  was  a  reporter  for  the 
"Daily  News."  He  knew  Charles  well  and  of 
ten  joked  with  him."  Hello  boy!"  he  said.  "Who 
poked  you  in  the  eye?"  Charles  told  him  about 
the  fight,  how  it  started  and  all.  The  story 
seemed  to  interest  the  reporter.  He  asked  a 
few  leading  questions,  wrote  the  answers  on 
his  note  pad,  and  placed  it  in  his  pocket. 

When  he  was  through  eating,  he  arose, 
slipped  Charles  a  half-dollar,  as  was  his  custom, 
and  said,  "Watch  the  papers  tomorrow  boy." 

Charles  thanked  him  and  told  him  that  he 
would.  Charles  did  not  think  he  could  make 
so  much  out  of  what  he  considered  a  very  small 
affair. 

But  the  next  morning  the  article  appeared 
in  the  "Daily  News,"  in  glaring  headlines  as 
follows: 

WAR  BETWEEN  THE  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 
Two  YOUNG   NEGROES  REPRESENTING  DIF 
FERENT  SECTIONS  FIGHT.    SOUTHERN 

NEGROES  CLAIM  VICTORY. 
The  above  headlines  and  the  column  and 


40  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

half  article,  that  followed,  stirred  up  the  colored 
citizens  from  center  to  circumference.  It  liter 
ally  set  them  wild. 

As  a  rule,  when  colored  people  see  any 
thing  in  the  paper,  they  take  it  very  seriously, 
and  if  it  is  about  their  own  race,  they  continue 
to  discuss  it  for  months  afterward. 

In  the  article  the  principals  of  the  combat 
were  mentioned,  and  the  cause  which  led  up  to 
it,  were  given  in  detail.  Continuing,  it  said  that 
the  police  were  no  where  to  be  found,  and 
criticised  them  severely,  for  allowing  more  than 
a  hundred  men  and  boys  to  assemble,  and  wit 
ness  such  a  contest.  "The  fight  was  stopped 
by  the  sister  of  the  gentleman,  who  stood  up 
for  the  North.  A  riot  might  have  ensued  had 
it  not  been  for  her  timely  arrival.  A  riot  once 
started  it  is  hard  to  tell  where  it  might  have 
ended.  For  some  time,  the  Northern  Negroes, 
and  the  Southern  Negroes  of  the  city,  have 
been  at  dagger  points,  over  the  subject  of  sep 
arate  schools,  and  the  segregation  question, 
falling  sometime  into  heated  debates. 

"The  Northern  Negroes  also  claim  that  their 
rights  and  privileges  in  public  places,  have  been 
denied  them  on  account  of  the  influx  of  the  bad 
Negroes  from  the  South;  and,  that  they  are 


THE  NEWSPAPER  ARTICLE  41 

going  to  take  steps  to  try  to  stop  them  from 
coming  in  the  city.  If  such  steps  are  taken, 
more  trouble  is  looked  for." 

When  Charles  picked  up  the  paper  and 
saw  such  an  elaborate  account  of  the  affair,  he 
was  astounded 

"Who  would  have  thought  it?"  said  he. 
Well  I  am  in  for  it  now;  I  guess  the  whole  town 
will  be  on  me."  He  did  not  figure  on  any 
sympathizers,  outside  of  a  few  of  the  boys  who 
were  working  at  the  Hotel. 

He  met  the  reporter  just  coming  in  for  his 
breakfast.  "For  the  love  of  Mike  man,"  he 
said.  "You  have  put  me  in  bad.  These  colored 
people  here  will  lynch  me." 

"Why  what  are  they  saying?" 

"I  haven't  seen  any  of  them  yet,  but  I  know 
about  how  they  feel." 

"Weil  your  people,  Charles,  are  easily 
stirred  up,  but  just  as  easy  to  quiet  down.  I 
don't  think  you  need  have  any  fear  of  them." 

"I  tell  you,  if  anything  happens  or  you  hear 
of  any  trouble,  you  just  let  us  know  of  it.  We 
will  take  care  of  you." 

With  this  he  took  his  seat  at  the  table  and 
ordered  his  breakfast. 

Charles  served  him,  as  usual,  and  when  he 


42  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

had  finished,  and  arose  to  go,  he  handed  him 
the  usual  tip,  patted  him  on  the  shoulder  and 
said,  "I  did  not  mean  to  cause  you  trouble 
Charles,  but  if  I  have,  you  may  rest  assured  that 
I  will  stand  by  you.  I  am  from  the  South  my 
self.  I  know  something  about  the  true  worth 
of  the  people  down  there.  The  noblest,  the 
richest,  the  cream  of  the  Negro  race  are  down 
there." 

Charles  thanked  him  for  his  words  of  en 
couragement,  but  he  could  not  help  feeling  a 
little  uneasy.  He  thought  that  he  knew  the 
minds  and  hearts  of  the  people  much  better 
than  did  the  reporter. 

The  next  morning,  after  a  night  of  restless 
ness,  of  bad  dreams  and  nightmares  and  fights, 
which  she  had  attempted  to  stop  in  her  sleep, 
Lillian  Simmons  arose  and  dressed.  Her  heart 
was  still  heavy.  She  had  hoped  to  awake  and 
find  the  happenings  of  the  preceeding  day  a 
horrible  nightmare,  like  most  persons  have  ex 
perienced,  at  some  time  in  their  lives.  But  her 
hopes  were  all  in  vain.  The  truth  dawned  only 
too  clearly,  and  was  verified  when  she  picked 
up  the  morning  paper  and  saw  the  glaring  head 
lines,  that  magnified  and  told  of  the  unfortunate 
affair.  Lillian  almost  swooned  when  she  read 


THE  NEWSPAPER  ARTICLE  43 

the  article,  and  came  to  the  part  that  she  played 
in  the  disgraceful  affair.  She  ran  into  the  house, 
clutching  the  paper  to  her  breast  with  both 
hands,  and,  with  stiffling  cry,  fell  across  her 
mother,  who  was  yet  in  bed  and  slumbering 
feverishly. 

She  immediately  awoke,  exclaiming,  "What 
on  earth  is  the  matter  with  my  child?  What  has 
happened?"  She  was  awake,  but  it  seemed  an 
age  before  her  senses  would  aid  her  in  deter 
mining  the  trouble  with  her  daughter.  "Don't 
cry  like  that  Lillian.  Something  terrible  must 
have  happened  to  'mother's  baby'." 

Lillian  was  now  choking  and  crying  aloud, 
as  if  her  heart  would  break.  Mrs.  Simmons, 
rising  from  bed,  lifted  her  up,  and  such  a  piti 
ful  expression  she  had  on  her  face,  she  had 
never  seen  before.  "Tell  mother  what's  the 
matter  dear,"  she  said,  covering  the  face  of 
Lillian  with  kisses.  Lillian  was  so  grieved  that 
she  could  not  speak.  She  simply  pointed  to  the 
glaring  headlines. 

Mrs.  Simmons  read.  As  she  continued,  it 
was  plain  that  she  was  affected.  Being  of  a 
light  complexion,  one  could  easily  note  the 
changes  in  her  countenance,  anger  and  chagrin, 
each  had  its  turn,  as  she  read  the  details  as  pub- 


44  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

lished  in  the  paper.  And  when  she  came  to 
the  part  that  Lillian  played,  she  then  knew  the 
cause  of  her  daughter's  great  grief. 

She  tried  to  console  her  and  treat  the  mat 
ter  lightly.  But  Lillian  would  not  be  consoled. 
She  felt  that  she  was  a  part  of  the  vulgar 
crowd  that  had  assembled  at  the  fight,  that  she 
was  the  object  of  public  censure,  and,  that  she 
was  disgraced  forever.  And  as  these  thoughts 
came  teeming  in  on  her  troubled  mind,  she 
grew  hysterical,  and  her  mother  could  do  noth 
ing  with  her. 

Her  ravings  and  loud  cries  brought  the 
other  members  of  the  household,  that  is  her 
father  and  brother,  into  the  room  and  to  her 
side. 

Mrs.  Simmons  thrust  the  paper  to  them 
and  told  them  to  read.  They  did  so,  both  the 
father  and  the  son  looking  on  at  the  same  time. 

When  they  had  finished  the  article,  the 
father  tried  to  appear  calm,  but  it  was  plain 
that  a  tempest  raged  within.  He  remarked, 
however,  that  he  saw  nothing  in  the  article  to 
cause  Lillian  to  be  carrying  on  as  she  was.  To 
be  able  to  break  up  a  fight  and  cause  a  crowd 
to  scatter  like  that,  really  stamped  her  as  a 
heroine. 


THE  NEWSPAPAR  ARTICLE  45 

"Oh  do  you  really  and  truly  think  so  papa?" 
she  said  between  sobs. 

"Indeed  I  do  my  girl.  I  am  really  proud  of 
your  action,"  he  said,  as  he  stopped  and  plant 
ed  a  kiss  on  her  feverish  brow. 

"Well  papa  if  you  mean  it  I  am  happy.  I 
shall  not  cry  any  more,"  she  said,  trying  to 
brighten  up.  But  in  spite  of  the  effort,  the  big 
tear  drops  continued  to  fall,  and  the  childish 
whimperings  she  was  unable  to  control. 

George  stood  with  hung  down  head  and 
said  nothing.  But  he  was  thinking  a  lot.  And 
what  he  was  thinking  would  not  look  well  in  a 
Sunday  school  book,  nor  on  any  printed  page 
as  to  that  matter. 

To  him  the  details  of  the  fight,  as  published 
in  the  paper,  contained  not  the  semblance  of 
truth.  And  he  was  quite  sure  that  the  informa 
tion  was  furnished  by  Charles  Christopher  him 
self,  or  some  of  his  Southern  sympathizers.  At 
some  time  he  would  make  them  swallow  it  in  big 
doses.  And  with  clinched  fists,  he  gritted  his 
teeth  unobserved  by  the  others  and  left  the 
room. 

"Something  ought  to  be  done  about  this," 
said  Mrs.  Simmons. 


46  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

"Never  fear  mother,"  said  Mr.  Simmons  in 
reply.  "Something  will  be  done.  And  that 
very  soon. 

"I  am  going  to  call  the  citizens  together 
this  very  night,  and  before  twenty-four  hours 
something  will  be  done.  Why  it's  an  outrage 
on  the  community."  With  this  he  left  the  room . 
And  Lillian  and  her  mother  set  about  silently  to 
prepare  the  morning  meal.  Both  were  very 
nervous  and  were  trying  to  gain  self  control. 

At  the  breakfast  table  the  article  in  the  pa 
per  was  not  alluded  to,  so  it  was  not  very  long 
before  they  each  showed  signs  of  cheerfulness, 
and  were  enjoying  their  breakfast  of  coffee, 
biscuits  with  butter,  fried  ham  and  potatoes. 
Mrs.  Simmons  could  make  the  best  of  biscuits; 
she  was  an  excellent  cook. 


CHAPTER  III 


THE  INDIGNATION  MEETING 

After  eating  breakfast  all  felt  better.  The 
sting  of  the  newspaper  article  gradually  began 
to  grow  less  painful.  All  four  were  sensible, 
well  read  people,  and  had  long  since  learned 
that  everything  published  in  the  papers  was 
not  true,  that  intelligent  people  did  not  so  re 
gard  it.  The  consoling  words  that  her  father 
had  spoken  to  her,  acted  like  magic  in  the  heal 
ing  of  Lillian's  broken  heart.  And  the  rest  of 
the  day  she  felt  comparatively  well.  She  al 
most  felt  proud  of  the  part  she  took  in  stopping 
the  fight,  because  her  father  had  said  that  it 
was  the  part  of  a  heroine.  So  her  grief  had  al 
most  passed  away. 

The  father  and  son  left  the  house  together. 
They  went  straight  to  one  of  the  down  town 
printing  offices,  and  had  some  hand  bills  struck, 
announcing  a  mass  meeting  for  the  colored  citi 
zens  to  be  held  at  the  Methodist  church.  Busi 
ness  of  importance  to  be  transacted.  The  meet- 
47 


48  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

ing  was  called  for  eight  o'clock  that  night. 
Nothing  else  was  necessary  to  bring  the  people 
together.  They  had  all  heard  about  the  fight 
and  most  of  them  had  read  the  article  in  the 
paper.  And  all  the  Northern  people  thought 
alike,  that  something  must  be  done.  So  at 
eight  o'clock  every  seat  in  the  church  was  tak 
en.  As  was  customary  at  such  meetings  Capt. 
Simmons  was  made  permanent  chairman  and 
Frank  Wilson  secretary. 

Without  further  preliminaries  Captain  Sim 
mons,  who  gained  his  title  from  some  other 
source  than  a  soldiers  record,  in  an  address  an 
nounced  the  purpose  of  the  meeting. 

"Ladies  and  Gentlemen,"  said  he  amid 
breathless  silence,  "We  have  assembled  here 
this  night  for  a  cause,  the  gravity  of  which  can 
scarcely  be  comprehended.  Much  depends  up 
on  what  we  say  here  and  what  we  do  here  to 
night.  Dark  clouds  are  lowering  and  hanging 
heavily  over  us.  And  a  storm  that  threatens 
to  sweep  us  off  the  face  of  the  earth  is  brewing. 
The  question  is,  can  we  avert  it?  Can  we  es 
cape  it? 

"You  all  know  what  has  transpired  in  the 
past  two  days,  and  the  cause  which  brought 
about  the  unpleasant  affair  as  well  as  I.  You 


THE  INDIGNATION  MEETING  49 

have  seen  the  morning  paper.  And  each  one  of 
you  have  had  your  say  regarding  it.  We  have 
expressed  ourselves  privately  on  the  question 
oft  times  before  and  have  had  some  pretty  clear 
cut  ideas  as  to  what  ought  to  be  done.  But  we 
are  here  tonight  to  express  in  a  public  way  our 
views  and  ideas;  to  organize  and  form  some 
definite  plan  of  procedure.  We  do  not  wish  in 
any  way  to  disguise  the  fact  that  we  are  indig 
nant  at  the  insult  and  humiliations  that  are  be 
ing  heaped  upon  us  each  day  in  increasing 
measures.  We  are  indignant  at  our  daily  paper 
for  publishing  such  an  article,  and  coloring  it  in 
the  manner  in  which  it  did,  this  morning.  Cast 
ing  a  reflection  on  our  manhood  and  integrity, 
and  attempting  to  discourage  us  in  our  struggle 
for  higher  ideals  and  good  citizenship.  Yes  we 
are  indignant.  We  are  indignant  at  a  certain 
undesirable  element  from  another  section  of  this 
country  who  have  come  among  us  and  who 
have  brought  with  them  habits  and  ideas  that 
are  a  menace  to  this  community,  and  a  detri 
ment  to  the  welfare  of  the  colored  citizenry,and 
we  have  assembled  here  this  night  for  the  pur 
pose  of  taking  positive  steps  toward  ridding  our 
selves  of  this  undesirable  element,  and  to  try  to 
secure  redress  for  some  of  the  wrongs  already 


50  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

inflicted  upon  us.  This  is  an  indignation  meet 
ing;  all  are  allowed  to  express  themselves,  and 
it  is  requested  by  the  Chair,  that  as  many  as  can 
will  do  so.  I  have  placed  the  matter  before  you, 
act  wisely  and  deliberately.  I  think  I  need  not 
say  more.  What  is  the  further  pleasure  of  the 
house?"  he  asked,  as  his  gavel  fell  heavily  upon 
the  table  before  him. 

"Mr.   Chairman,"  a  dozen  voices  spoke,  as  a 
dozen  men  arose  to  their  feet  simultaneously. 

"The  Chair  is  in  doubt,"  said  the  speaker. 
"All  please  be  seated." 

"Mr.  Chairman."  A  dozen  men  sprang  up 
as  before.  The  Chair,  realizing  the  difficulty  of 
trying  to  give  the  first  man  on  his  feet  an  oppor 
tunity  to  speak,  tried  the  next  best  plan  of  proced 
ure,  that  is  of  recognizing  the  one  furthest  off. 

"Mr.  Washington  has  the  floor,"  he  said,  as 
he  lifted  his  eyes  beyond  those  nearest  him. 

Capt.  Simmons  was  a  skillful  parliamentar 
ian,  and  possessed  much  executive  ability,  and 
was  well  fitted  for  the  position  which  he  now 
held. 

"To  what  did  you  arise  Mr.  Washington?" 

"Mr.  Chairman,  I  arise  to  make  a  motion. 
There  is  really  nothing  before  the  house,  and  in 
order  to  get  things  started,  I  move  that  we  pro- 


THE  INDIGNATION  MEETING         51 

ceed  to  the  regular  order  of  business  for  which 
we  have  assembled." 

"I  second  the  motion,  Mr.  Chairman,"  said 
the  nearest  man  to  Washington. 

"It  has  been  moved  and  seconded  that  we 
proceed  to  the  regular  order  of  the  business  in 
hand.  Are  you  ready  for  the  question?" 

"Question!"  A  number  of  voices  rang  out 
through  the  house. 

"Those  who  are  in  favor  of  said  motion  let 
it  be  known  by  the  usual  sign,  aye." 

"Aye!"  The  whole  house  shouted.  "Con 
trary,  Nay." 

"The  motion  carries  by  an  unanimous  vote," 
said  the  chairman,  "and  we  will  now  proceed  to 
the  discussion  of  the  business  before  the  "house." 

"Mr.  Chairman,"  said  Frank  Maxwell,  who 
was  very  anxious  to  talk,  and  who  showed  great 
signs  of  excitement,  "I  arise  to  a  question  of 
privilege." 

"Mr.  Maxwell  has  the  floor,"  said  the  chair 
man.  "Proceed  Mr.  Maxwell." 

"Mr.  Chairman,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  of 
this  assembly,  I  have  lived  in  this  city  for 
twenty-five  years.  I  have  seen  the  town  grow 
from  a  small  village  of  two  thousand  people,  to 
its  present  size.  I  know  when  the  spot  whereon 


52  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

this  building  now  stands,  was  a  vine-clad  forest, 
a  fit  hiding  place  for  the  wild.  I  have  watched 
people  come  and  I  have  watched  them  go,  but 
through  all  the  vicssitudes  and  changes,  that 
time  has  wrought,  I  have  never  known  such 
bold  effrontery  to  manhood,  such  wanton  and 
reckless  trampling  of  ideals  and  principles  un 
derfoot,  as  is  being  practiced  in  our  midst  to 
day. 

"Are  we  to  sit  idly  and  see  our  rights  and 
privileges  one  by  one  slip  from  us,  when  it  is  in 
our  power  to  prevent?  Are  we  going  to  waste 
the  time  away  in  useless  words,  spoken  where 
they  have  no  weight,  where  they  are  as  seed 
sown  on  stony  ground,  or  are  we,  like  men,  go 
ing  to  take  decided  steps  tonight  against  further 
injury  or  further  insult?  Who  in  this  assembly 
is  willing  to  shed  precious  blood,  yes  lay  down 
his  life  for  this  cause  that  is  vital,  one  might  say, 
to  our  very  existence?  I  for  one  am  ready  to 
fight  to  get  things  right.  And  I  hope  that  every 
true  loyal  citizen  of  the  North  is  willing  to  take 
a  stand  and  prepare  for  the  task  of  ridding  the 
community  of  this  undesirable  rabble  that  has 
come  into  our  midst,  and  has  been  the  cause  of 
our  recent  and  previous  troubles;  and  the  deny 
ing  to  us  of  our  constitutional  rights." 


THE  INDIGNATION  MEETING  53 

Maxwell,  as  may  have  been  observed  by  the 
reader  through  his  speech,  was  an  educated 
man.  He  had  also  completed  a  course  in  law, 
in  a  Northern  college  and  had  at  one  time  be 
longed  to  the  Bar  Association.  But  on  account 
of  a  lack  of  practice,  he  was  forced  to  a  abandon 
the  profession,  and  at  fifty  without  the  care  of 
a  family,  he  was  custodian  of  one  of  the  large 
down  town  bank  buildings.  He,  however,  was 
highly  respected  by  both  races,  and  was  active 
in  church  work,  secret  organizations,  politics 
and  civic  affairs  in  general.  He  was  an  eloquent 
firery  speaker  and  was  able  to  play  upon  the 
emotions  of  his  hearers,  thus  arousing  them  and 
eliciting  hearty  and  frequent  applause. 

He  spoke  at  length  and  being  a  lawyer  used 
many  technical  terms,  language  of  his  own  pro 
fession,  dwelling  much  on  constitutional  rights; 
and  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  articles  of 
amendments.  Then  soaring  away  on  the  wings 
of  eloquence,  to  heights  of  oratory,  seldom  at 
tained  by  ordinary  men,  he  concluded  his 
speech  with  the  thrilling  words  of  Patrick 
Henry,  "Give  me  liberty  or  give  me  death,"  and 
took  his  seat  amid  a  storm  of  applause  that 
shook  the  very  foundation  upon  which  the 
building  stood. 


54  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

Many  others  expressed  themselves  much 
along  the  same  lines,  but  none  surpassed  him 
in  eloquence  and  beauty  and  clearness  of 
thought. 

The  chairman,  after  many  good  and  other 
wise  speeches  were  made  in  keeping  with  the 
spirit  of  the  meeting,  suggested  that  the  hour 
was  growing  late,  and  that  the  discussion  might 
well  be  closed  at  that  time  for  the  purpose  of 
formulating  some  definite  plans  of  procedure. 
That  he  was  ready  to  entertain  suggestions  or 
motions  along  that  line.  "But  first,"  said  he, 
"By  virtue  of  my  office  as  chairman  of  this 
meeting,  I  shall  proceed  to  appoint  two  com 
mittees,  one  to  draw  up  resolutions  in  keeping 
with  the  spirit  and  purpose  of  this  meeting,  the 
other  as  a  committee  on  vigilance,  whose  duty 
will  be  definitely  expressed  later  on." 

The  first  committee  that  he  appointed  con 
sisted  of  five  men,  with  Frank  Maxwell  as  chair 
man  which  immediately  left  the  room  to  begin 
its  work. 

The  vigilance  committee  was  made  up  of 
ten  able  bodied  men  who  retired  to  another 
room  and  organized  with  George  Simmons  as 
its  leader  or  Chairman. 

The  Chairman  announced  that  while  the 


THE  INDIGNATION  MEETING          55 

committees  were  out  at  work  he  would  enter 
tain  any  one  who  might  yet  desire  to  express 
himself.  "Would  be  glad  to  have  a  word  from 
some  of  the  ladies,"  he  said. 

The  ladies  were  all  backward  when  it  came 
to  talking  in  public,  and  none  of  them  seemed 
to  show  a  desire  to  speak. 

Mrs,  Simmons  and  Lillian  were  there,  and 
sat  together  listening  attentively  to  every  word 
that  was  said.  They  were  carried  away  with 
the  speech-making,  and  it  seemed  that  Captain 
Simmons  words  spoken  that  morning  before 
breakfast  were  about  to  come  true. 

Mrs.  Simmons  told  some  of  the  ladies  of 
Lillian's  troubles  that  morning.  They  pitied  her 
so  much,  for  Lillian  was  beloved  by  all.  But 
they  assured  her,  as  her  father  had  done,  that 
there  was  no  harm  done  whatever.  So  they 
laughed  and  chatted  gaily  until  the  committee 
on  resolutions  returned  and  announced  that  it 
was  ready  to  report. 

The  resolutions  were  read  and  seemed  to 
meet  the  approval  of  the  assembly.  They  seem 
ed  to  be  the  only  remedy  that  would  cope  with 
the  conditions  as  they  now  stood.  First  of  all 
they  condemned  the  morning  paper  for  publish 
ing  such  an  article  as  it  had  that  morning,  and 


56  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

recommended  that  it  be  asked  to  refute  the 
statement,  or  that  they  be  allowed  to  give  their 
version  of  what  had  happened  the  day  before. 
They  denounced  the  Southern  Negro  as  being 
an  undesirable  citizen,  that  his  ideas  and  cow 
ardly  ways  tended  to  create  prejudice.  That 
the  rougher  element  from  the  South,  had  caus 
ed,  through  his  bad  conduct,  many  of  their 
rights  and  privileges  to  be  denied  them. 

They  further  recommended  that  the  vigilant 
committee  appointed  by  the  chairman,  see  to  it 
that  no  more  undesirables  be  permitted  to  come 
into  the  community.  And  those  who  were  there 
were  to  be  held  in  restraint. 

That  the  young  ruffian,  Charles  Christopher 
who  made  the  vicious  attack  on  one  of  their  most 
worthy  and  scholarly  young  men,  be  asked  to 
leave  the  city  at  once.  If  not  through  persua 
sion,  then  by  force.  These  were  the  most  im 
portant  things,  embodied  in  the  resolutions. 

"You  have  heard  the  resolutions,  what  is 
your  pleasure?" 

"Mr.  Chairman,"  the  voice  came  from  the 
women's  side  of  the  house.  "Mrs.  Lester,"  said 
the  chairman. 

"Mr.  Chairman,  I  move  that  the  resolutions 
be  received  and  adopted." 


THE  INDIGNATION  MEETING          57 

Mrs.  Lester  was  loudly  applauded  for  her 
action,  and  was  seconded  by  a  dozen  men. 

"You  have  heard  the  motion  to  receive  and 
adopt  the  resolutions,  are  you  ready  to  vote," 
cried  the  chairman. 

"Not  ready!" 

All  turned  in  the  direction  of  the  old  gray 
headed  speaker  at  the  door. 

"Brother  Littlejohn,  state  your  reasons  for 
not  being  ready,"  said  the  chairman. 

"Wall  Mr.  Chairman,  I  am  not  ready  kase  I 
thinks  youall  is  wrong.  In  de  fust  place  dem 
air  resolutions  condemin'  Southern  folks  is 
wrong.  You  all  up  here  in  de  Norf  seem  to 
think  that  the  cullud  folks  ob  de  Souf  has 
caused  all  de  troubles.  But  youse  wrong.  Hit 
is  de  natchul  feelin'  dat  one  class  or  race  of 
people  has  agin  annudder,  lack  youallshowed 
here  tonight!  Hits  as  natchul  for  white  folks  to 
not  like  cullud  folks  and  make  laws  agin  'em, 
and  impose  upon  'em,  as  it  is  for  you  all  to  not 
lack  Southern  cullud  folks  and  'pose  'pon  dem." 

"Brother  Littlejohn,  you  must  be  brief," 
said  the  chairman  as  he  moved  uneasily  in  his 
chair.  "The  hour  is  growing  late.  Confine 
your  speech  to  the  resolutions." 

"Now  Mr.  Chairman  don't  commence    any- 


58  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

thing  like  dat  Be  fair,  you  all  has  had  your 
say,  now  give  poor  old  pappie  a  chance. 

"I  know  that  Ise  an  ignorant  old  man,  can't 
say  things  proper  lack  de  rest  ob  you.  Kase 
I  has  no  book  larnin',  I  hasn't  been  to  school,  I 
hasn't  had  de  chance  dat  you  has  had.  But  I 
has  some  mother's  wit,  and  some  common 
sense  and  I  knows  when  a  thing  is  right  or 
wrong.  So  please  give  me  a  chance  to  'spress 
myself. 

"I  was  borned  in  de  Souf  and  I  can't  set 
still  here  and  say  nothin'  in  'fense  of  it.  Dey  is 
just  as  'spectable  down  dar  as  you  all  is  up 
here,  and  dey  has  more  money,  more  property 
and  more  pride  than  you  all  has.  And  when 
you  pass  resolutions  'hibitin'  colored  folks  of  de 
Souf  from  comin'  here  youse  doin'  wrong.  I 
has  lived  in  dis  here  town  for  seventeen  years, 
and  me  and  my  family  has  been  as  'spectable 
as  any  of  you.  And  when  you  cast  'flections 
on  de  Souf  you  cast  'flections  on  me. 

"If  you  all  wants  a  voice  and  wants  to 
measure  arms  wid  de  white  man,  you  has  to 
getsomethin'  of  your  own. 

"Colored  folks  own  dis  buildin'  don't  dey? 
Will  any  white  man  dare  to  come  in  here  and 
kick  you  aroun'  an'  impose  'pon  you?  No! 


'When  you  cast  'flections  on  de  Souf,  you  cast 
'flections  on  me." 


THE  INDIGNATION  MEETING  61 

Why?  Kase  he  reco'nizes  ownership.  You 
can  tell  a  white  man  whar  to  set  in  dis  church, 
kase  its  yourn.  The  white  man  tells  you 
whar  to  set  in  de  theatres  an'  in  de  railroad 
trains  kase  dey  is  hisn.  He  bars  you  from  privi 
leges  in  de  Parks  and  Hotels  kase  he  owns  dem 
and  can  do  what  he  pleases  wid  'em.  Den  you 
colored  folks  here  in  de  Norf  try  to  put  the 
blame  on  the  Southern  Negro,  when  it  is  jest  a 
case  of  might  makin'  right.  The  stronges'  race 
takin'  a  stand  agin  the  weaks,  the  white  blood 
assertin'  itself  and  puttin'  forth  efforts  to  hold 
in  check  other  races  and  have  de  bes'  things  for 
itself. 

"An'  if  you  Negroes  ever  'mount  to  any 
thing  you  got  to  git  togedder  like  de  Negroes  of 
de  Souf  has  been  forced  to  do.  Have  some 
stores  an'  banks  an'  parks  an'  theatres  an'  some 
schools  ob  your  own.  Don't  wait  till  de  white 
folks  kick  you  out  an  den  blame  de  bad  Negroes 
from  de  Souf  for  it. 

"An'  annudder  thing  you  is  wrong  in,  you 
has  de  same  spirit  in  you  dat  de  mob  has  in  de 
Souf.  If  you  drives  dis  man  out  of  town  you 
can't  critize  de  white  men  who  lynch  Negroes 
in  de  Souf.  You  is  full  of  prejudice  yourself 
and  you  cant  expect  people  to  deal  fair  wid  you 


62  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

unless  you  hab  it  in  your  own  hearts  to  be  fair 
wid  others. 

"An'  now  Mr.  Chairman  I  am  through  and 
I  thank  you  an'  de  ladies  an'  de  gentlemen,  for 
given  me  'der  respectful  'tention.  You  can  do 
what  you  please.  I  has'  been  settin  here  listen 
ing  to  de  speeches,  an'  watchin'  de  proceedins, 
an'  when  I  know  dat  you  is  doin'  wrong,  I 
wouldn't  be  much  of  a  man  to  set  still  an'  say 
nothin'.  I  feel  now  that  I  has  done  my  Chris 
tian  duty.  How  can  de  Negro  race  ever  'mount 
to  much  when  dey  is  fightin'  agin  one  nother? 
What  more  can  you  expect  of  de  other  race 
when  we  has  so  much  prejudice  in  our  own 
hearts?  The  color  line  is  drawn  in  our  own 
race.  Yaller  Negroes  think  dey  is  better  than 
black  ones.  Northern  Negroes  think  dey  is 
better  den  Southern  Negroes.  Lord  help  us  to 
git  right." 

"Your  time  is  up,"  said  the  Chairman,  strik 
ing  his  gavel  on  the  table. 

Old  man  Littlejohn  took  his  seat.  It  was 
some  time  before  any  one  spoke.  It  seemed 
that  they  had  swallowed  and  were  now  trying 
to  digest  old  man  Littlejohn's  speech. 

"Are  you  ready  to  vote  on  the  resolutions?" 
said  the  Chairman  finally. 


THE  INDIGNATION  MEETING          63 

"Just  a  word,  Mr.  Chairman,"  said  Maxwell, 
who  had  risen  to  the  floor.  He  did  not  want 
the  audience  to  feel  that  the  old  gentleman's 
speech  was  worthy  of  an  answer,  yet  he  was 
afraid  to  ignore  it,  lest  it  had  gone  straight  to 
the  hearts  of  a  majority  who  had  their  origin  in 
the  South,  and  whose  sympathies  were  with 
the  South,  but  who  heretofore  had  kept  silent 
about  it,  either  ashamed  or  afraid  to  confess  it. 
For  there  was  some  logic  and  some  truth  in 
what  the  old  man  said. 

So  he  began:  "Mr.  Chairman,  it  is  just 
such  cowardly  talk  that  makes  the  Southern 
Negro  objectionable.  He  is  positively  detri 
mental  to  his  own  good,  and  to  ours  also. 
There  never  was  a  nation  that  ever  amounted 
to  anything,  who  did  not  take  matters  into  their 
own  hands,  and  strike  the  first  blow  for  their 
rights.  We  are  after  our  rights,  Mr.  Chairman, 
our  constitutional  rights,  and  we  cannot  afford 
to  allow  such  people  as  these  to  deter  us  in  our 
efforts. 

"I  am  quite  sure  though  that  every  one 
sees  the  matter  in  the  proper  light,  and  will  vote 
for  the  resolutions.  We  cannot  and  will  not  be 
blinded  by  ignorance  and  superstition." 

At  this  juncture  the  chairman  put  the    mo- 


64  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

tion  which  carried  by  a  safe  majority.  He  then 
instructed  the  Vigilance  Committee  as  to  its 
duty,  requesting  that  it  carry  out  the  things 
recommended  in  the  resolutions  to  the  letter. 

After  which  the  meeting  adjourned  until 
conditions  should  require  another. 


CHAPTER  V 


THE  WARNING  HEEDED 

That  night  George  Simmons  trudged  home 
ward  chuckling  in  glee  at  the  advantage  he  now 
held  over  Charles  Christopher.  "And  I  am  go 
ing  to  use  it  too,"  thought  he.  'Til  show  him 
that  he  can't  come  up  here  talking  his  Southern 
talk  and  get  by  with  it." 

So  he  went  to  his  room  and  lay  until  morn 
ing,  planning  a  sweet  revenge  against  Charles 
Christopher.  The  rest  of  the  family  were 
soon  wrapt  in  slumber,  not  being  used  to  such 
unusual  hours  for  retiring. 

But  Lillian,  like  her  brother,  lay  awake  the 
greater  portion  of  the  time.  In  spite  of  all  her 
efforts  she  could  not  dismiss  the  words  of  old 
man  Littlejohn's  speech  from  her  mind.  In  fact 
his  was  the  only  one  she  could  remember  dis 
tinctly.  Tis  true  she  was  carried  away  by  the 
eloquence  and  flowery  talk  of  Frank  Maxwell, 
but  really  when  she  came  to  think  about  it,  he 
had  left  no  deep  thoughts  over  which  her  mind 
65 


66  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

might  ponder.  But  old  man  Littlejohn's  advice 
for  united  effort,  his  advice  to  cleanse  the  heart 
of  prejudice,  of  secret  faults,  of  injustice  did 
mean  something. 

Was  it  not  true  that  her  brother,  at  the  head 
of  the  vigilant  committee,  was  the  same  as  the 
man  who  leads  a  band  of  lynchers  in  the  South, 
who  burns  the  homes  of  innocent  and  helpless 
Negroes?  Was  it  not  the  purpose  of  this  com 
mittee  to  condemn  without  trial  certain  misguid 
ed  persons  of  their  own  race?  Was  it  not  their 
intention  to  drive  Charles  Christopher  from  the 
city  if  he  insisted  on  his  right  to  remain?  Was 
it  in  obedience  to  the  Golden  Rule,  "Do  unto 
others  as  you  would  have  them  do  to  you?" 
Was  it  a  Christian-like  spirit? 

Surely  old  man  Littlejohn's  talk  had  its  ef 
fect,  to  cause  all  these  questions  to  come  teeming 
into  Lillian's  youthful  mind  for  fair,  unbiased 
answers.  Child  as  she  was,  she  had  the  sense 
of  justice  planted  deeply  in  her  nature.  She 
had  individuality,  she  had  character,  and  best  of 
all,  moral  courage.  And  like  old  man  Littlejohn, 
she  could  not  sit  still  and  see  the  wrong  assert 
ing  itself  without  protesting  against  it. 

Was  there  any  way  that  she  could  prevent 
the  wrongs  which  were  about  to  be  perpetrated 


THE  WARNING  HEEDED  67 

in  this  case?  Could  she  in  anyway  prevent  her 
brother  from  doing  something  that  for  the  time 
might  satisfy  and  heal  his  wounded  pride,  but 
in  years  to  come  might  burn  into  his  conscience 
and  cause  eternal  suffering?  Old  man  Little- 
john  so  far  wrong  in  the  use  of  the  vehicles 
of  speech,  untrained  in  book  lore,  unschooled 
in  the  theories  of  law  as  given  to  the  world  by 
Blackstone,  ignorant  of  social  codes  or  parlor 
ettiquette,  was  not  wrong  at  heart.  He  had  the 
true  principles  of  moral  philosophy  deeply 
planted  in  his  nature.  And  Lillian  so  regarding 
it  determined  to  stand  on  the  platform  that  he 
had  laid  down.  It  was  not  fair  to  hold  a  race 
accountable  for  wrong  acts  committed  by  cer 
tain  individuals  of  that  race.  And  the  fact  that 
the  white  people  of  their  town  were  doing  this, 
stamped  them  as  unfair  and  unjust,  and  old  man 
Littlejohn  was  right  when  he  advanced  the  the 
ory  that  it  was  the  natural  spread  of  prejudice 
which  would  have  come  sooner  or  later  regard 
less  of  the  influx  of  the  Southern  Negro. 

Lillian  lay  till  morning  pondering  over  these 
thoughts.  She  loved  her  brother  dearly  and 
sympathized  with  him,  but  she  felt  that  he  was 
in  the  wrong.  She  felt  that  they  were  all  in 
the  wrong.  And  she  was  going  to  try  to  pre- 


68  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

vent  them  from  putting  their  wrong  ideas  into 
practice.  She  did  not  want  her  brother  to  do 
things  that  he  would  regret  in  later  life. 

So  she  decided  to  see  Charles  Christopher 
and  persuade  him  to  leave  the  city  before  the 
committee  should  command  him  to  do  so.  And 
if  he  should  do  so,  he  perhaps  would  save  him 
self  untold  trouble,  and  her  brother  George 
would  not  be  charged  with  having  done  a  mem 
ber  of  his  race  an  injustice.  So  deciding  she 
arose  at  the  usual  hour  and  went  about  her 
morning  duties. 

That  morning  at  the  breakfast  table  they 
all  showed  some  signs  of  fatigue,  and  of  being 
affected  by  the  late  hours  kept  the  night  before, 
with  perhaps  the  exception  of  George.  He 
looked  rather  bright  and  fresh. 

"How  did  you  all  like  the  meeting  last  night," 
he  said.  "Wasn't  it  grand?" 

"I  was  well  pleased,"  said  Mrs.  Simmons. 

Captain  Simmons  brightened  up  at  the 
mention  of  the  meeting.  ~  He  took  great  pride 
in  being  a  leader  in  the  community,  and  consid 
ered  himself  highly  honored,  when  called  upon 
to  preside,  which  was  done  nearly  at  all  times. 

"Well,"  he  said,  "I  told  you  yesterday  morn 
ing,  that  before  twenty-four  hours,  something 


THE  WARNING  HEEDED  69 

would  be  done.  Didn't  I  tell  you  all  that  moth 
er?  The  conduct  of  the  people  was  excellent," 
he  continued.  "I  never  presided  over  a  body 
that  was  as  easily  controlled  as  that  was  last 
night." 

"Well  the  fact  is,  the  boys  have  got  their 
minds  made  up  to  stop  all  this  heathenism,  and 
when  you  get  the  people  all  to  be  of  one  mind, 
they  come  together  for  business,  they  dont 
have  time  for  so  much  foolishness,  and  they  are 
easily  handled.  The  only  thing  that  had  a  ten 
dency  to  mar  the  meeting,  was  old  man  Little- 
john  up  there  with  his  ignorance,"  said  George, 
"If  I  had  been  in  your  place  father,  I  would 
have  sat  him  down." 

"I  think  your  father  did  the  right  thing  to 
let  him  talk.  He  is  a  good  old  man  and  no  one 
paid  any  attention  to  his  ignorance.  Its  well  to 
humor  such  people,"  said  Mrs.  Simmons. 

"Yes  mother,  but  we  didn't  have  time  to 
listen  to  his  foolishness.  He  would  be  amusing 
on  the  stage,  but  we  were  not  rendering  a 
vaudeville  program  there  last  night." 

"George  you  ought  to  be  ashamed  to  make 
sport  of  the  old  man  that  way.  I  listened  close 
ly  to  him  and  I  think  he  was  right  in  most  all 
he  said.  One  thing  about  it,  I  can  remember 


70  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

more  of  what  he  said,  than  I  can  of  Maxwell.  I 
think  he  is  right  when  he  says  that  colored 
people  should  not  fight  against  each  other/' 
said  Lillian,  aiming  to  work  up  to  the  place 
where  she  could  question  George  as  to  what 
he  intended  to  do  in  the  case  of  Charles  Chris 
topher.  But  she  found  out  through  George's 
next  remark. 

"Well  I  know  this  much  we  are  going  to  fix 
that  Charles  Christopher.  I  think  he  will  be 
'bully'  enough  to  refuse  to  go  when  we  ask  him. 
I  hope  he  will,  because  then  we  will  have  the 
fun  of  making  him  go.  We  are  going  to  give 
him  just  three  days  in  which  to  get  ready  and 
if  he  doesn't  go  in  that  length  of  time  he  will 
wish  he  had." 

"When  are  you  going  to  inform  him  that  he 
must  leave?"  asked  Lillian. 

"We  are  going  to  inform  him  this  very  af 
ternoon  at  four  o'clock.  He  will  be  off  from 
work  at  that  time.  He  is  off  this  morning  at 
ten,  but  we  can't  get  the  boys  together  at  that 
hour." 

"Is  the  whole  committee  of  ten  going  to 
wait  on  him?"  asked  Captain  Simmons. 

"No,  there  will  be  only  three  of  us  goto  him. 
But  if  he  refuses  the  whole  ten  will  take  part." 


THE  WARNING  HEEDED  71 

Lillian  said  no  more,  but  she  was  figuring 
what  excuse  she  would  make  to  get  away  from 
the  house.  For  she  was  now  more  determined 
than  ever  to  thwart  the  plans  of  the  committee 
which  she  considered  no  better  than  a  mob. 
Ten  able-bodied  men  against  one  man  seemed 
cowardly  to  her.  As  soon  as  breakfast  was 
over  she  would  find  some  kind  of  excuse  to  get 
away  and  warn  Charles  Christopher.  Not  to 
save  him,  but  to  save  her  brother  from  a  das 
tard  act  which  meant  a  seared  conscience  to  him 
in  after  life. 

She  would  go  to  the  library  and  get  the 
book  that  she  failed  to  get  on  the  day  of  the 
fight. 

"Mother,  may  I  go  to  the  library  this  morn 
ing  and  get  my  book?  I  am  lonely  and  want 
something  to  read."  She  thus  addressed  her 
mother,  after  her  morning  duties  were  per 
formed. 

"Yes  dear,  but  don't  stay  long",  was  the  re 
ply  from  her  mother. 

So  she  dressed  as  prettily  as  she  could  and 
started. 

The  morning  after  the  indignation  meeting, 
when  Charles  Christopher  came  out  of  the  Ho 
tel,  he  went,  as  he  was  accustomed  to  do  to  the 


72  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

river  bank.  It  was  here  where  he  had  chanced 
to  hear  the  words  that  had  stirred  up  so  much 
strife. 

He  took  his  usual  seat  and  began  to  watch 
life  as  enacted  on  and  near  the  river.  It  was  a 
beautiful  morning,  almost  as  beautiful  as  the 
preceeding  day,  with  its  stage  set  with  natural 
splendor,  the  earth  bedecked  with  flowers,  the 
distant  forest  dressed  in  its  nev/est  garb,  made 
lively  by  the  songs  of  birds  flitting  gleefuly 
about.  And  Charles  Christopher,  inspired  by 
the  surroundings  began  to  muse  sweetly  to  him 
self.  He  had  almost  forgotten  the  unpleasant 
event  of  the  preceeding  day.  But  he  had  not 
forgotten  the  beautiful  and  angelic  face  of  Lil 
lian.  "A  creauture  of  the  day/'  he  thought.  "A 
fairy  fit  only  for  beautiful  days  and  lovely  scenes 
like  this.  Why  is  she  forced  to  mingle  with  or 
dinary  mortals  like  us?  But  since  she  must, 
then  it  is  my  right  to  love  and  admire  her  and 
long  and  hope,  if  I  dare,  for  acquaintance  and 
friendship  with  her.  I  would  give  almost  any 
thing  could  I  see  her  and  speak  to  her  now  and 
pour  out  my  heart  yearnings  at  her  feet,  turn 
my  soul  inside  out  as  it  were,  that  she  might  see 
its  purity,  that  she  might  understand  and  be 
hold  its  true  mechanism.  To  know  and  under- 


THE  WARNING  HEEDED  73 

stand  my  heart  would  be  to  forgive  the  wrong 
that  she  must  imagine  that  I  have  inflicted  upon 
her  brother.  But  some  day,  some  where,  some 
how,  I  can  not  guess  now,  but  things  will  be  ad 
justed.  The  eternal  truth  must  triumph,  and 
Lillian  Simmons  will  know  the  truth  and  more 
over,  accept  the  love  I  have  for  her." 

As  he  mused  thus,  he  heard  a  light  tread  in 
the  soft  grass  near  him.  He  looked  up  and  be 
hold  the  idol  of  his  dreams,  was  at  his  side. 

Charles  was  dumfounded.  He  could  not 
believe  his  own  eyes.  His  heart  for  the  mo 
ment  ceased  to  beat.  Heavy  drops  of  perspira 
tion  stood  on  his  upturned  brow,  and  his  dark 
brown  velvet  skin,  had  on  it  the  paleness  of 
death.  A  messenger  from  the  tomb  could  not 
have  surprised  him  more.  Lillian,  with  her 
library  book  in  hand,  also  showed  some  em 
barrassment,  but  the  purpose  for  which  she 
came,  gave  her  self  control,  so  she  greeted  him, 
saying,  "This  is  Mr.  Christopher,  is  it  not?" 

"It  is,"  replied  Charles  with  quivering  lips. 

"Well  Mr.  Christopher,  I  come  to  see  you 
on  some  very  grave  and  important  business. 
You  no  doubt  have  heard  of  the  big  indignation 
meeting  held  by  the  citizens  of  this  town  last 
night. 


74  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

"I  have  not,"  stammered  Charles  truthfully. 

"Well  there  was  one,"  continued  Lillian, 
"and  one  of  its  orders  was  that  a  vigilant  com 
mittee,  of  which  my  brother  is  chairman,  see 
that  you  leave  this  town.  The  committee  con 
sists  of  ten  determined  men,  with  whom  you 
stand  no  possible  chance  singlehanded.  And 
you  will  have  serious  trouble  if  you  resist  them 
or  refuse  to  go  when  they  command  you.  I 
know  that  you  are  no  coward,  Mr.  Christopher, 
but  the  best  thing  for  you  to  do  is  to  take  my 
advice  and  leave  the  town  at  once." 

Charles  looked  up  into  the  beautiful  face  of 
the  young  girl  and  said,  "Miss  Simmons,  for  I 
think  that  must  be  your  name,  I  have  done 
nothing  to  merit  such  treatment  as  this  of  which 
you  speak.  Tis  true  that  your  brother  and  I 
had  an  altercation  day  before  yesterday,  but  he 
was  as  much  in  fault  as  I."  And  Charles  related 
to  her  in  his  own  way,  the  details  which  led  up 
to  the  fight.  "And  I  was  very  much  embarrass 
ed,  Miss  Simmons,"  he  continued,  "when  you 
appeared  upon  the  scene  and  separated  us.  I 
wanted  to  apologize  to  you,"  he  said,  as  he  star 
ed  at  her  with  his  large  brown  eyes,  "but  I  had 
no  chance,  and  feared  that  the  chance  would 


THE  WARNING  HEEDED  75 

"Why  you  owe  me  no  apology,  Mr.  Christo 
pher,  you  have  done  nothing  to  me  and  as  for 
my  brother,  I  am  sure  that  he  can  do  no  more  to 
you  than  you  can  do  to  him,"  said  Lillian,  red 
dening.  "But  my  brother  with  nine  other  men 
can  do  you  much  harm.  My  brother  is  young 
and  impetuous  and  is  likely  to  do  something  that 
he  might  regret  to  the  longest  day  he  lives. 
And  to  save  himself  from  a  dastardly,  cowardly, 
unmanly,  though  thoughtless  act,  is  why  I  come 
to  you  as  I  do.  And  as  I  must  not  be  seen  talk 
ing  to  you,  and  you  can  readily  understand  why, 
you  are  sensible,"  she  said  betraying  a  degree 
of  confidence  in  her  tone  of  voice.  "I  must  ask  you 
for  a  hasty  reply.  Will  you  leave  for  my  sake?" 

Charles  could  no  more  resist  the  pleadings 
of  Lillian  Simmons  than  he  could  dam  up  the 
great  Niagra.  So  looking  at  her  with  soft  eyes 
that  seemed  to  melt  her  very  soul,  with  eyes 
that  spoke  volumes  unexpressed  by  the  lips,  he 
said,  "If  I  go  as  you  ask,  may  I  hope?" — 

He  did  not  finish,  but  she  seemed  to  under 
stand  him,  and  answered  in  tender  accents. 
"Go  do  what  I  ask  you  for  my  sake  and  be  a 
good  boy.  We  do  not  know  what  the  future 
holds  for  us.  I  must  go  now,  good-bye."  And 
before  Charles  could  get  himself  together  and 


76  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

say  the  things  that  he  most  desired  to  say,  the 
opportunity  that  he  could  scarcely  have  hoped 
for,  had  come  and  gone.  He  sat  and  watched 
her  as  she  swiftly  and  gracefully  moved  away. 
He  watched  her  even  until  she  had  disappeared 
around  the  bend  in  the  flower  strewn  path  and 
was  hidden  by  a  thick  cluster  of  shrubs  and 
trees.  For  a  time  he  was  bewildered.  He  was 
completely  overcome  by  Lillian's  beauty  and 
grace,  and  by  her  earnest,  yet  tender  plea. 
Her  voice  was  like  sweet  music  to  his  ears  and 
Siren  like,  she  had  lured  him  and  won  him  to 
her  purpose. 

Finally  awakening  to  his  senses  he  began 
to  think  what  he  had  done,  what  promise  he  had 
made.  Was  it  not  cowardly  for  him  to  leave  at 
this  particular  time,  when  these  Northern  peo 
ple  could  and  should  be  taught  a  lesson?  What 
would  those  of  his  sympathizing  friends  say  and 
think  of  him?  What  would  the  reporter,  the 
manager  of  the  hotel,  and  many  of  the  guests 
who  had  heard  of  the  affair  say,  should  he  leave 
at  this  time  in  obedience  to  Lillian?  But  did  she 
not  give  him  cause  to  hope?  Was  not  the  hope 
held  out  in  tender  and  confidentially  spoken 
words  worth  the  sacrifice?  "Go  do  what  I  ask 
you  for  my  sake  and  be  a  good  boy."  Did  not 


THE  WARNING  HEEDED  77 

these  words  spoken  by  the  beautiful  Lillian  mean 
that  there  was  at  least  a  fighting  chance  for  him 
to  win  her  love?  Could  he  not  go  away  now 
and  at  some  future  time  return  and  say  the 
things  that  he  desired  so  much  to  say  to  her? 
If  he  should  leave  the  town  for  her  sake,  to 
save  the  conscience  of  her  brother  in  the  future, 
there  would  at  least  be  common  grounds  for 
friendship,  and  having  an  advantage  like  this, 
could  he  not  follow  it  up  and  seek  to  know  her 
better?  After  thinking  along  this  line  for  some 
time  he  finally  concluded  that  he  would  run  the 
risk  of  being  called  a  coward  for  an  opportunity 
like  this.  He  would  go  to  the  reporter  and 
manager  of  the  Hotel,  and  as  many  of  his  friends 
as  he  could  find  and  explain  the  reasons  for  his 
departure,  as  best  he  could,  and  would  take  the 
first  train  out.  Then  he  remembered  the  com 
mand  of  George  Simmons,  and  his  own  reply, 
"I  had  rather  die  a  hundred  deaths  than  to  heed 
or  listen  to  your  command."  "But  this  would 
not  be  obeying  the  command  of  George  Sim 
mons,"  he  thought;  rather  it  would  be  granting 
the  request  of  his  beautiful  sister  whom  he 
loved,  and  robbing  George  of  his  opportunity 
for  what  he  called  a  sweet  revenge. 

The  first  train  left  the  city  at  one  thirty  that 


78  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

afternoon  and  Charles  Christopher  left  with  it, 
disregarding  the  pleadings  and  importunities  of 
his  friends. 


CHAPTER  VI 


THWARTED 

Lillian  hastened  toward  home  and  as  she 
trudged  lightly  along  she  began  to  think  of  what 
she  had  done.  This  was  the  first  time  that  she 
had  done  anything  that  she  must  conceal  from 
her  mother.  The  thought  began  to  prey  upon 
her  mind.  Being  of  a  sensitive  nature,  and 
having  been  taught  to  never  conceal  anything 
from  her  mother  she  found  herself  regretting 
her  action.  If  she  could  only  tell  her 
about  it,  tell  her  why  and  all,  she  would  feel 
satisfied,  feel  that  her  action  was  entirely  right 
and  proper.  She  felt  too,  that  her  mother 
would  approve  of  her  action  if  she  knew  it. 
She  knew  that  she  loved  George  and 
had  already  cautioned  him  to  stay  out  of  trouble, 
and  no  doubt  would  have  tried  to  prevent  him 
herself,  but  perhaps  she  never  would  have 
thought  of  the  plan  that  she  had  so  successfully 
persued.  But  would  Charles  Christopher  have 
listened  to  her  mother  as  he  had  listened  to 
79 


80  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

her?  She  believed  not.  She  could  not  help 
knowing  that  Charles  Christopher  admired  her. 
She  had  read  that  in  his  large  soulful  eyes,  and 
that  was  why  he  had  obeyed  her.  But  would  a 
plea  from  her  mother  have  had  the  same  effect 
on  him?  She  believed  not  and  felt  somewhat 
flattered  on  the  account  of  this  fact.  She  had 
saved  her  brother  from  further  trouble  and 
kept  a  stain  off  his  character  by  persuading 
Charles  Christopher  to  leave,  and  she  would  not 
worry.  Besides  Charles  Christopher  was  a  fine 
looking  man  and  his  frank  manner,  his  correct 
use  of  English  and  his  deep  soulful  eyes,  which 
had  expressed  volumes  to  her,  had  impressed 
her.  She  liked  him,  that  is  why  she  spoke  so 
tenderly  to  him,  pleading  with  him  to  do  her 
bidding,  and  encouraging  him  in  the  manner  in 
which  she  had.  She  would  always  remember 
him  and  she  would  be  kind  to  him,  yes  very 
kind  to  him  if  she  should  ever  chance  to  meet 

him  again.    If  he  would  write  to  her 

She  was  now  ascending  the  steps  of  the 
veranda.  The  large  St.  Bernard  met  her  and 
showed  her  his  pleasure  at  her  arrival  by  bark 
ing  good  naturedly  and  capering  around  her. 
She  stopped,  as  was  her  custom,  patted  him  on 
the  head  and  said  kind  words  to  him,  failing  to 


THWARTED  81 

complete  her  last  thought  in  words,  the  large 
dog  having  interrupted. 

"You  back  Lillian?"  asked  her  mother,  as 
she  entered  the  house.  "I  hope  you  were  able 
to  secure  your  book  this  time." 

"Yes- mother  I  have  it.  I  am  going  to  read 
it  and  tell  you  about  it  after  dinner,"  said  Lillian 
nervously. 

"Hurry  up  and  prepare  the  table  dear,  it  is 
almost  noon  and  your  father  will  be  here  short 
ly." 

Lillian  said  nothing,  but  bathing  her  face 
and  hands,  began  her  duties.  And  it  was  not 
long  before  the  family  was  seated  at  the  table. 
Captain  Simmons  was  very  complacent,  but 
George  seemed  rather  disturbed. 

"George  what  is  the  matter  with  you?" 
asked  his  mother  at  length. 

"Oh,  I  am  sore  mother.  Dont  you  know," 
he  continued,  "I  went  to  the  Daily  News  office 
this  morning  and  gave  them  our  side,  or  our 
version  of  the  fight  the  other  day,  and 
the  editor  threw  it  in  the  wate  basket,  said  it 
was  stale  stuff,  and  they  could  not  use  it. 

"So  I  up  and  told  him  the  article  they  pub 
lished  was  false,  that  it  misrepresented  the 
Northern  colored  people,  and  placed  them  in  a 


82  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

bad  light  and  we  wanted  it  straightened  out." 
"We  think  it  fair,"  said  I  'that  the  public  know 
our  side  of  the  affair,  since  it  has  gone  so  far. 
We  did  not  have  the  least  doubt  that  you  would 
refuse  us  a  hearing.'  He  said  nothing  so  I  ask 
ed  him  if  they  would  be  willing  to  retract  then, 
some  of  the  things  that  were  published.  His  re 
ply  was,  'Ah  that  is  all  past  now,  and  we  have 
no  more  time  to  fool  with  it.  You  colored  peo 
ple  must  try  to  get  along  together.  You  are  al 
ways  fighting  among  yourselves,  that's  why  you 
lose  out  in  so  many  things.  There  is  strength 
only  in  unity.  You  ought  to  know  that  George, 
you've  been  to  school.  My  advice  is  for  you  to 
let  it  drop.'  I  was  so  angry  I  could  not  say  an 
other  word.  I  just  turned  around  and  walked 
out." 

Lillian  listened  and  noted  how  disgusted 
and  humiliated  George  seemed  to  be.  She  red 
dened  perceptiby  when  he  referred  to  Charles 
Christopher,  the  southern  dog,  as  being  the 
cause  of  it.  "That's  all  such  people  are  good 
for,"  he  said.  "Well,  we  will  get  him  this  after 
noon.  He  will  not  get  another  chance  to  re 
port  lies  to  the  paper  and  prejudice  it  against 
its  own  home  people.  This  is  the  first  time  the 
paper  has  ever  been  unfair  to  us." 


THWARTED  83 

Mrs.  Simmons,  after  hearing  him  through, 
said  to  him  in  her  patient,  tender,  consoling  ac 
cents.  "Well  son,  you  must  not  take  things  so 
hard.  You  must  learn  to  be  calm  under  fire.  I 
think  you  are  a  little  bit  too  radical.  You  are 
extreme  in  your  likes  and  dislikes.  You  are 
either  on  the  mountain  top  or  in  the  valley. 
This  morning  you  were  highly  pleased,  you  fair 
ly  gloated  over  the  results  of  the  meeting,  and 
the  advantages  that  it  gave  you  over  your  en 
emy.  Now  you  go  to  pieces  because  you  have 
lost  one  point.  Your  spirits  seem  to  be  grovel 
ing  in  the  very  lowest  depths  of  depression. 
You  will  have  to  do  better  than  that  my  son. 
Dont  allow  your  hopes  to  rise  too  high  or  sink 
too  low.  Try  and  strike  a  happy  medium.  You 
will  be  happier  if  you  adopt  this  plan." 

George  said  no  more  but  it  was  plain  to  be 
seen  that  he  was  very  much  displeased  at  this 
turn  of  affairs. 

Captain  Simmons,  not  wishing  to  betray  his 
anger  and  his  nervous  excitement,  after  Mrs. 
Simmons'  pointed,  but  all  too  true  remarks,  re 
mained  silent  throughout  the  meal.  When  he 
was  through  eating,  he  arose  from  the  table  ab 
ruptly,  saying  to  George:  "Be  sure  and  see 


84  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

that  that  young  pup  leaves  this  town  this  after 
noon,"  and  started  to  his  office. 

"You  may  bet  your  last  dollar  on  that  fath 
er,"  said  George  revengefully.  "I  am  going 
after  the  boys  now." 

That  afternoon  at  four  o'clock  George  and 
his  committee  stood  at  the  hotel  entrance  wait 
ing  for  Charles  Christopher  to  come  out.  When 
told  by  some  of  the  other  employees  that  Charles 
had  left  town  he  did  not  believe  them,  and  told 
them  as  much.  He  told  them  that  the  pup  need 
not  be  hiding,  that  he  would  have  to  come  out 
some  time.  At  this  one  of  the  boys  remarked: 
"You  don't  think  he  is  afraid  of  you  do  you? 
Why  that  boy  can  whip  all  three  of  you  fellows. 
We  would  not  lie  to  you  George.  He  really  is 
gone.  He  left  on  the  one  thirty  train.  He  says 
that  he  is  going  further  North." 

"Boys  dont  be 'kidding',"  said  George.  "We 
are  here  for  business.  And  we  must  see  him. 
Tell  him  to  come  out,  that  we  want  to  talk  to 
him." 

"Ask  the  proprietor  ifyoudont  believe  us," 
said  one  of  the  boys.  "I  saw  him  when  he  got 
his  time." 

George  was  not  satisfied  with  the  report 
obtained  from  the  boys,  so  he  went  to  the  Hotel 


THWARTED  85 

office  and  found  the  proprietor  and  told  him 
that  he  wished  to  see  Charles  Christopher.  The 
proprietor  told  him  that  Charles  Christopher 
had  gone.  He  then  asked  George,  what  was 
the  matter  with  the  colored  people.  "Why 
Charles  Christopher  is  one  of  the  best  boys  that 
I  have  ever  had  around  here.  And  I  hear  that 
you  people  want  to  get  rid  of  him.  He  is  a 
whole  lot  better  than  you  people  who  are  fight 
ing  him.  He  is  well  educated,  industrous,  fine 
looking,  good  natured  and  every  thing  else  that 
goes  toward  the  making  of  a  perfect  gentleman. 
I  am  surprised  at  your  family  opposing  a  fellow 
like  him.  I  tell  you  right  now  that  you  are 
hurting  yourselves  in  doing  so." 

"Pardon  me,  Mr.  Dover,"  said  George,  at 
tempting  a  defense,  for  he  knew  that  such 
words  coming  from  Clarance  Dover,  the  pro 
prietor  of  the  Hotel,  meant  something,  and  if  he 
could  rid  his  mind  of  such  ideas,  he  would  be 
doing  his  people  a  great  favor.  Dover  was  one 
of  the  best  friends  the  colored  people  had.  He 
carried  no  prejudice  in  his  heart  for  them,  and 
would  often  accomodate  them  in  his  Hotel  when 
they  had  the  means  to  pay  for  it.  His  help  was 
mixed.  He  considered  one  man  as  good  as  an 
other.  He  recognized  no  creed,  no  color,  no 


86  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

standard  except  that  of  manhood  and  good 
character.  And  to  hear  him  talk  like  that  had 
a  tendency  to  dampen  George's  ardor  and  to 
cool  his  hot  head. 

"You  do  not  understand  the  situation  as 
we  do." 

"Situation  or  no  situation,"  said  Mr.  Dover, 
"I  know  a  good  man  when  I  meet  one,  and  I 
dont  believe  in  allowing  them  to  be  imposed  up 
on.  And  if  that  boy  had  remained  with  me  and 
you  had  harmed  him,  you  and  your  people 
would  have  had  to  suffer  for  it.  I  have  heard 
all  about  this  affair.  I  tried  to  persuade  him 
not  to  go.  But  he  left  because  he  did  not  want  to 
cause  you  colored  people  trouble." 

"Well  Mr.  Dover,"  said  George,  "you  are 
not  in  a  mood  to  talk  today,  but  I  do  hope  at 
some  time  to  be  able  to  explain  everything  to 
you." 

"I  shall  never  be  in  a  mood  to  listen  to  any 
thing  you  have  to  say  against  Charles  Christo 
pher,"  replied  Mr.  Dover.  "So  you  need  never 
return  on  a  mission  like  that." 

"Well  good  day  Mr.  Dover.  I  hope  no  harm 
has  been  done." 

"Good  day,"  replied  the  proprietor. 

George  left  the  hotel  office  feeling  badly. 


THWARTED  87 

He  realized  that  he  had  over  stepped  his  bounds 
by  approaching  the  Hotel  proprietor  for  such  a 
purpose  as  he  had.  A  sort  of  sheepish 
uneasy  feeling  came  over  him  and  a  kind  of 
choking  sensation  was  in  his  throat.  He  felt 
for  the  first  time  that  the  young  Southerner 
had  bested  him,  but  he  would  never  confess  it 
to  anyone.  He  would  make  it  appear  that 
Charles  Christopher,  the  cowardly  southern 
pup,  fearing  the  thrashing  that  he  had  stored 
away  in  his  sleeve  for  him,  had  left  the  city.  He 
would  make  this  boast  so  strong  that  other 
southern  Negroes  would  take  warning  and  re 
main  quiet.  After  all  some  good  would  come 
of  his  heading  the  vigilant  committee,  which  was 
now  a  permanent  organization.  Consoling  him 
self  with  this  last  thought  he  boastingly  inform 
ed  the  other  two  young  men  who  were  with  him 
of  Charles'  escapade,  dismissed  them  and  sneak 
ed  home  by  an  unfrequented  path,  unobserved. 
The  discussion  and  feverish  excitement  con 
tinued  for  some  time  but  the  serious  trouble 
was  averted  by  the  timely  withdrawal  of  Charles 
Christopher  from  the  city.  And  sweet  Lillian 
Simmons  was  the  peace  maker. 


CHAPTER  VII 


THE  Two  ARGUMENTS 

There  is,  as  is  well  known,  a  wide  difference 
of  opinion  as  to  what  is  the  best  policy  to  pur 
sue  in  solving  what  is  called  the  race  problem. 
The  opinions  are  largely  sectional,  and  so  far  as 
the  colored  race  is  concerned,  are  as  wide  apart 
as  the  two  sections  themselves.  They  are  op 
posite.  The  colored  people  of  the  North  being 
radical,  believe  in  fighting  with  gun  and  sword, 
if  need  be,  for  their  constitutional  rights  and 
privileges,  while  the  colored  people  of  the  South 
believe  in  pursuing  a  more  conservative  course, 
securing  rights  and  privileges  through  strategy 
or  diplomacy  or  meritorious  effort.  How  far 
either  section  is  right,  it  is  not  our  purpose  to 
affirm  or  deny.  We  are  forced  to  acknowledge 
though,  that  both  policies  as  pursued  by  the 
different  sections  seem  either  to  have  failed  or 
are  very  slow  in  attaining  the  desired  results. 

The  Northern  people  abhor  the  idea  of 
separate  schools,  yet  they  are  being  instituted 
88 


THE  TWO  ARGUMENTS  89 

year  after  year.  City  after  city  is  adapting  the 
system.  The  fighting  policy  of  the  Northern 
colored  people  seems  to  be  inadequate  to  pre 
vent  or  avert  the  almost  constant  spread  or  in 
crease  of  the  segregation  idea  in  its  many 
forms.  The  Northern  colored  people  argue 
that  in  the  first  place  separate  schools  are  un 
constitutional,  and  are  not  in  keeping  with  the 
principles  of  liberty  and  free  government. 
They  think  the  same  regarding  the  "Jim  Crow" 
car,  the  segregation  or  setting  of  colored  people 
in  certain  districts  of  a  city  or  town  in  which  to 
dwell,  so  that  they  may  not  come  in  too  close 
contact  with  persons  of  the  other  race.  They 
argue  that  any  tendency  to  deny  or  disregard, 
or  to  set  aside  the  law  that  acknowledges  the 
equality  of  man  to  man,  is  unfair  and  unjust, 
that  freedom  is  mans  birthright,  that  he  should 
preserve  his  God  given  heritage  at  any  cost  or 
at  any  hazzard. 

That  he  who  would  not  is  a  coward  void  of 
manhood  and  principle,  and  deserves  all  the 
hardships  and  depression  which  he  has  heaped 
upon  him. 

They  claim  that  the  race  problem  will  never 
be  solved  until  the  white  race  makes  up  its 
mind  to  be  fair  with  the  colored  race.  They 


90  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

claim  that  there  would  be  no  race  problem  if 
they  had  the  sense  of  justice  in  their  hearts. 
They  think  that  it  will  take  force  to  get  them  in 
the  right  attitude,  and  when  the  negroes  North 
and  South  becomes  a  unit  on  this  thought,  no 
power  or  people  on  earth  can  impose  upon  them, 
That  the  idea,  "He  who  would  be  free  must 
fight,"  is  divine.  The  North  could  not  conquer 
the  South  until  it  promised  freedom  to  the 
slaves.  The  slaves  could  not  be  free  until  they 
made  up  their  minds  to  be  slaves  no  longer  and 
struck  a  blow  in  their  own  behalf.  John  Brown 
could  do  nothing  for  the  Negro  because  their 
minds  at  that  time  were  not  pregnant  with  a 
determination  to  be  free. 

Abraham  Lincoln,  that  far  seeing  statesman, 
that  diplomat,  that  instrument  in  God's  hand, 
caught  the  idea  in  the  air  as  it  were,  that  "He 
who  would  be  free  must  fight,"  and  placed 
weapons  of  war  in  the  hands  of  Negro  men  and 
boys,  bidding  them  to  free  themselves, 

You  Southern  people,  says  the  North,  argue 
that  you  have  no  guns,  no  ammunition,  no  pow 
er,  by  which  you  may  obtain  your  rights.  That 
is  not  it.  You  have  no  courage.  You  will 
not  make  the  attempt  because  you  are  afraid 
that  you  will  die.  You  are  not  willing  to  sacri- 


THE  TWO  ARGUMENTS  91 

f ice  life  in  the  defense  of  that  which  is  yours  by 
inheritance.  Come  and  join  us,  colored  broth 
ers  of  the  South,  not  sectionally,  but  take  on 
our  spirit,  imbibe  our  ideas  for  fair  play,  and 
help  us  to  teach  the  people  of  the  other  race 
there  is  no  other  solution  of  the  race  problem 
except  fair  treatment.  Let  us  unite  soul  and 
body  on  the  determination  to  get  justice  in  this 
land  at  any  cost  and  the  battle  is  half  won.  God 
in  his  infinite  wisdom,  in  his  own  mysterious 
way,  will  do  the  rest." 

This  is  the  doctrine  that  is  preached  by 
nearly  all  native  colored  people  throughout  the 
North.  This  is  the  idea  that  they  would  incul 
cate  in'the  minds  of  the  colored  people  from  the 
South  who  come  to  dwell  among  them.  This  is 
the  platform  upon  which  the  Simmons  family 
stood.  And  this  is  what  George  Simmons  want 
ed  Charles  Christopher  to  understand  and  to  do. 

But  if  Charles  Christopher  had  had  an  op 
portunity  to  -voice  the  sentiment  of  his  people, 
he  would  have  answered  with  the  same  stubborn 
facts,  that  all  intelligent  colored  people  from  the 
South  do  when  confronted  with  the  boasting 
and  fighting  spirit  of  the  North.  "No  doubt 
but  what  you  are  right  my  brother,  but  does 
this  agitation,  this  fighting  policy  which  you 


92  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

recommend,  ward  off  or  even  hold  in  check  this 
unfair  and  unjust  treatment,  of  which  you  so 
passionately  and  indignantly  prate?  We  have 
segregation  in  all  its  odious  forms  forced  upon 
us.  We  are  powerless,  we  cannot  help  ourselves. 
Your  fighting  policy  will  not  work  down  in  our 
section.  You  dare  not  come  down  our  way  and 
advocate  the  doctrine  which  you  preach.  You 
are  like  the  dog  that  barks  and  growls  only 
when  he  is  in  his  masters  yard.  You  can  not 
carry  your  fighting  talk  beyond  the  'Mason  and 
Dixon  Line'.  If  you  are  brave  enough  and  think 
you  can,  come  down  and  try  it.  But  dont  you 
think  for  one  moment  that  we  are  cowards  be 
cause  we  lift  our  voices  protesting  in  an  humble 
yet  sensible  way  and  get  results.  For  we  can, 
and  do,  do  more  of  this  loud  boastful  mandatory 
talk  than  you  can  come  down  here  and  do. 
They  understand  us,  and  they  would  not  under 
stand  you.  And  you  would  not  live  to  return 
and  tell  the  story  of  what  they  did  to  you  and  to 
your  Northern  brethern  should  you  come  down 
and  make  the  attempt.  Our  industrous  and 
diplomatic  policy  has  done  and  is  doing  much 
for  us.  We  are  both  struggling  for  the  same 
thing.  Our  ideas  are  the  same,  but  our  sections 
of  the  country  and  the  people  who  dwell  therein, 


THE  TWO  ARGUMENTS  93 

demand  different  methods  of  procedure,  that  is 
all.  And  the  things  that  you  consider  hard 
ships,  we  have  found  them  to  be  benefits. 

"We  are  none  the  losers  by  having  separ 
ate  schools.  Thousands  and  thousands  of  dol 
lars  have  found  their  way  into  our  pockets 
through  the  separate  school  system.  Our 
teaching  force  is  becoming  more  and  more  ef 
ficient  each  year,  through  contact  and  practice 
among  the  youth  of  the  race.  They  are  learn 
ing  to  do  by  doing.  They  could  never  have  se 
cured  the  advantage  that  they  now  have  here 
in  your  section.  Besides  it  gives  to  our  boys 
and  girls  at  least  one  occupation,  that  cannot  be 
called  drudgery.  Your  children  of  the  North 
finish  with  honors,  in  the  schools  and  colleges 
of  this  section,  oft  times  outstripping  the  Anglo 
Saxon  boy  or  girl  in  the  attainment  of  scholar 
ship.  And  to  what  purpose,  when  this  cowork- 
er,  weaker  than  himself,  secures  the  big  paying 
position,  and  he  is  forced  to  take  to  the  fields 
of  drudgery? 

"What  inducements  have  your  boys  and 
girls  to  complete  a  course  here  in  the  North? 
It  matters  not  how  well  trained  or  equipped  for 
usefulness  that  they  are,  they  must  leave  the 
Northern  fireside  and  come  to  this,  our  southern 


94  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

clime,  if  they  would  practice  what  they  know, 
and  receive  compensation  for  what  they  do. 

"Again  mistreatment  at  the  hands  of  those 
who  run  the  business  in  the  South,  the  common 
grocery  clerk  and  dry  goods  dealer  has  caused 
or  forced  us  to  establish  business  of  our  own. 
Dozens  of  small  groceries  and  notion  stores  can 
be  found  in  our  segregated  districts.  Many 
men  of  our  race  are  doing  things  in  a  business 
like  way  and  are  supported  by  the  patronage  of 
their  own  people.  Is  this  not  worth  while?  Is 
this  not  asserting  manhood?  Such  enterprise 
proclaims  our  dissatisfaction,  louder  and  even 
more  forcibly  than  the  harshly  spoken  words  to 
which  you  resort,and  which  are  meaningless  be 
cause  they  have  no  power  behind  them? 

"Growth  in  business  and  in  the  world  of 
trade  and  commerce,  and  in  the  industries,  is 
the  greatest  need  of  the  Negro  race.  'Jim  Crow 
Cars'  forced  segregation  and  spiteful  discrimin 
ation  are  indeed  odious  and  devilish  to  all  in 
tents  and  purposes,  yet  they  have  been  and  are 
now  the  great  compelling  forces,  that  have 
caused  the  Negro  of  the  South,  to  branch  out 
and  try  to  do  something  in  the  way  of  business 
for  himself  and  posterity.  We  have  banks  and 
businesses  along  nearly  all  lines.  We  are  wide 


THE  TWO  ARGUMENTS  95 

awake.  We  are  progressing.  We  are  attract 
ing  attention.  We  are  gaining  respect  and  rec 
ognition.  We  are  giving  to  the  capable  boys 
and  girls  of  our  race  employment.  We  are  living 
for  posterity.  This  unjust  treatment,  this  op 
pression,  this  humiliation  is  hammering  and 
chizeling  and  shaping  us  into  the  form  of  a  new 
and  distinct  nation,  which  in  future  years 
shall  receive  favors  and  recognition  because  of 
its  progress,  its  merits  and  its  manhood.  What 
results  can  you  show,  my  Northern  brother,  by 
pursuing  your  revengeful  fighting  policy?  Per 
haps  you  have  not  gone  far  enough  along  that  line 
to  attain  results.  Then  continue  a  little  longer 
and  when  you  find  that  you  have  been  forced 
to  yield  up  your  rights  and  privileges  one  by 
one,  that  the  other  race,  has  forced  you  to  let 
loose  entirely  the  small  hold  which  you  have 
had  upon  it,  then  come  and  join  us,  not  sec- 
tionally,  but  take  on  our  spirit  in  your  own  sec 
tion,  and  at  least  make  an  attempt  along  busi 
ness,  commercial  and  professional  lines.  Dont 
stand  in  your  own  light  fearing  to  branch  out 
for  yourselves,  lest  you  should  offend  the  people 
of  your  own  race  by  sowing  seeds  of  prejudice 
and  by  instituting  voluntary  segregation.  Open 
up  the  vast  fields  of  business  and  trade  which 


96  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

are  strange  and  new  to  Northern  colored  people. 
There  will  be  failures  of  course  but  we  must 
get  the  drill  we  must  have  the  practice.  Pos 
terity  is  dependent  upon  us,  and  will  profit  by 
our  many  mistakes.  And  let  us  remember  that 
we  can  learn  to  do,  only  by  doing." 

This  is  substantially  the  argument  made  by 
all  Southern  colored  people  and  this  is  the  ar 
gument  that  Charles  Christopher  would  have 
made  to  George  Simmons  that  eventful  morning 
of  the  fight,  had  George  not  lost  his  temper  and 
so  ruthlessly  and  so  grossly  insulted  him. 

But  neither  the  Simmons  family  or  any  of 
the  Northern  born  people  were  prepared  to 
listen  to  or  heed  such  advice,  coming  from  the 
South.  They  could  not  and  would  not  accept 
it.  And  granting  this,  that  the  Southern  people 
were  progressing  along  business  and  profession 
al  lines;  what  was  that  in  a  country  where 
they  have  to  step  aside  when  they  see  a  white 
man  coming  and  let  him  pass;  where  they  have 
to  be  bowing  and  scraping  and  apologizing  all 
the  time,  lest  they  be  characterized  and  consid 
ered  a  saucy  "nigger?" 


CHAPTER  VIII 


REVERSES  FOR  THE  SIMMONS  FAMILY. 

Three  years  have  passed  since  the  first 
events  recorded  in  our  story  took  place.  Many 
changes  have  been  wrought  in  this  specific 
northern  city,  as  well  as  in  the  lives  of  our 
characters,  who  are  playing  leading  roles. 

The  Simmons  family  is  not  what  it  used  to 
be.  Captain  Simmons  is  no  longer  clerk  in  the 
city  treasurer's  office.  "The  mills  of  the  Gods 
grind  slowly,  but  they  grind  exceedingly  fine." 
Politics  and  prejudice  have  at  last  got  in  their 
work,  and  two  years  ago  Captain  Simmons  was 
forced  to  step  down  and  out  from  his  lucretive 
position.  He  tried  to  shift  the  blame  on  the 
shoulders  of  the  southern  Negro,  but  the  points 
that  he  made  were  so  far  fetched  that  his  friends 
were  unable  to  see.  Hence  the  view  that  he 
took  was  not  accepted.  He  put  forth  many 
strenuous  efforts  to  regain  what  he  had  lost, 
but  to  no  avail.  So  for  two  years  he  has  re 
mained  practically  idle.  He  sees  the  influence 
97 


98  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

that  he  once  held  in  the  community,  and  espec 
ially  among  his    own    people,    slipping    away. 

Money  is  very  scarce  with  him  and  his 
creditors  are  harassing  him.  Taxes,  insurance, 
water  bills  and  street  improvements  have  re 
duced  him.  He  is  ageing  rapidly,  and  worry  is 
beginning  to  tell  on  him.  He  is  still  hopeful, 
however,  and  tries  hard  yet  to  brace  up  and 
look  his  friends  and  foes  squarely  in  the  face. 
Mrs.  Simmons,  whose  locks  are  now  silvering, 
understands  her  husband  too  well.  No  count 
erfeit  goes  around  her.  She  knows  the  real 
condition,  and  her  husband  need  not  try  to  fool 
her  or  try  to  hide  from  her  the  financial 
strait  in  which  he  is  entangled. 

Yet  the  good  woman  knows  not  what  to  do 
to  relieve  the  strain.  She  sees  her  husband 
worrying,  and  of  course  she  needs  must  worry 
too.  George  is  working  as  porter  in  one  of  the 
down  town  stores,  but  his  salary  is  not  suffici 
ent  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  family,  besides 
George  is  a  good  dresser  and  struggles  hard  to 
keep  up  appearances.  Naturally  proud  and 
ambitious,  he  often  tries  to  make  his  young 
women  friends  and  associates  believe  that  he  is 
a  clerk  in  the  store  in  which  he  works,  but  they 
know  better  because  they  have  seen  him  at 


REVERSES  FOR  THE  SIMMONS  FAMILY    99 

work,  and  they  think  less  of  him  on  account  of 
of  his  attempt  to  deceive  them. 

Lillian  is  as  sweet  and  beautiful  as  ever. 
She  has  lost  none  of  her  charm  and  grace.  A 
little  more  sedate  and  womanly  perhaps.  But 
the  beautiful  glow  remains  upon  her  cheek  and 
the  youthful  gleam  is  still  in  her  eye.  She 
seems  to  gain  in  loveliness  and  attraction  as 
the  years  go  by.  She  takes  great  delight  in 
being  in  mother's  and  father's  company  and 
does  much  to  console  them  when  they  are 
troubled. 

Captain  Simmons  loves  her  dearly  and  has 
often  been  heard  to  say  that  he  could  not  live 
without  her. 

Lillian  also  understands  the  situation  re 
garding  her  father's  financial  condition,  and  is 
anxious  to  relieve  the  strain.  She  is  willing  to 
go  out  and  work  in  service,  but  her  beloved 
parents  will  not  under  any  circumstances  hear 
to  it.  She  knows  well  how  to  do  house  work 
and  is  anxious  to  put  her  knowledge  into  prac 
tice  to  benefit  the  family. 

"Well  mother,  what  are  we  going  to  do?" 
she  said  one  morning  at  the  breakfast  table,  af 
ter  George  and  her  father  had  left.  "We  can't 
sit  here  and  see  the  property  taken  away  from 


100  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

us."  Through  some  chance  remark  they  learned 
that  Captain  Simmons  must  mortgage  his  home 
to  meet  certain  obligations.  Mrs.  Simmons 
was  heart  broken  and  hot  tears  were  rolling 
down  her  cheeks.  George  and  his  father  could 
not  stand  a  sight  like  this,  so  they  had  left  the 
table  when  Lillian  confronted  her  mother  with 
the  above  question.  4'I  am  just  going  to  get 
out  and  hunt  some  work,  that's  all.  I  cannot 
see  where  the  disgrace  will  come  in." 

"There  is  no  disgrace  in  honest  labor,  my 
dear,  but  you  have  never  had  to  resort  to  any 
thing  like  that,  and  such  a  step  would  create  so 
much  gossip.  I  don't  mind  the  talk  of  the  or 
dinary  people,  but  I  cannot  bear  to  have  those 
of  our  set  cast  insinuations  or  reflections  against 
us.  I  can  never  consent  to  it  Lillian.  I  had 
rather  live  on  bread  and  water  than  have  you 
leave  home  for  such  a  purpose." 

"Why  mother,"  said  Lillian,  I  did  not  know 
that  you  had  so  much  false  pride.  I  thought 
that  this  was  why  you  gave  me  training  in  do 
mestic  science,  you  wanted  me  to  be  able  to 
earn  something  and  in  case  of  emergency  to  be 
able  to  take  care  of  myself.  You  know  that 
there  is  nothing  else  that  I  can  do.  And  I  feel 
so  miserable  sitting  around  here  idle,  a  burden 


REVERSES  FOR  THE  SIMMONS  FAMILY  101 

on  you  and  papa.  I  want  to  help  you  out." 
Mrs.  Simmons  said  not  a  word.  The  tears 
began  to  flow  faster  and  faster,  and  Lillian  see 
ing  that  her  mother  was  almost  ready  to  break 
down,  said  in  her  most  cheerful  voice,  "I  tell 
you  mother,  how  would  it  do  for  me  to  adver 
tise  as  a  cateress  and  wait  parties?" 

Mrs.  Simmons,  not  wishing  to  discourage 
Lillian,  looked  up  remarking,  "I  had  never  once 
thought  of  that  my  dear.  There  is  really  a  de 
gree  of  professionalism  in  that  and  I  dont  know 
but  what  it  might  be  a  good  thing  to  do.  I 
might  be  able  to  help  you  in  that.  We  both 
could  work  along  together.  It  is  true  we  ought 
to  do  something  to  help  father  out  of  this  strain. 
I  will  speak  to  him  about  it  when  he  returns 
and  see  what  he  thinks  about  it. 


CHAPTER  IX 


A  TEACHER  W ANTED 

At  that  moment  there  was  a  knock  at  the 
door.  Lillian  rose  to  open  it,  and  with  an  ex 
clamation  of  delight,  announced  in  Bishop 
Granville  of  the  A.  M.  E.  church. 

Mrs.  Simmons  who  had  not  seen  the  Bishop 
for  a  number  of  years,  also  expressed  her  sur 
prise  and  delight.  The  three  chatted  away 
cheerfully  for  some  time.  They  seemed  to  for 
get  all  their  troubles  and  worries  in  the  presence 
of  the  distinguished  divine.  They  chatted 
away  at  length,  when  finally  the  Bishop  inform 
ed  them  that  he  must  be  going.  "I  am  only 
here,"  said  he  "for  a  few  hours.  I  want  to  see 
the  pastor  of  your  church  on  some  very  impor 
tant  business.  By  the  way  Miss  Lillian,  I  must 
call  you  Miss  now,  you  have  grown  to  be  such 
a  beautiful  young  lady,  I  am  on  the  lookout  for 
a  good  teacher  to  teach  in  a  Southern  colored 
school.  Do  you  know  any  graduates  from  your 
High  School  here  that  I  could  recommend 
102 


"I  have  always  been  averse  to  colored  schools 
and  colored  teachers." 


A  TEACHER  WANTED  105 

for  the  place?  You  are  a  graduate  are  you  not? 
Suppose  you  let  me  send  you  down  there? 
What  do  you  say,  Madam?"  said  the  Bishop, 
turning  to  Mrs.  Simmons. 

"Oh  mama!  do  let  me  go.  It  is  the  very 
thing,  exclaimed  Lillian,  clapping  her  hands  in 
delight  and  almost  betraying  the  family  troubles 
by  her  anxious  tone  and  manner. 

"I  dont  know  about  that,"  said  Mrs.  Sim 
mons,  remembering  her  attitude  toward  colored 
schools  and  colored  teachers.  "I  have  always 
been  averse  to  separate  schools  and  colored 
teachers,  and  have  several  times  publicly  lifted 
my  voice  against  them,  and  it  would  now  seem 
so  inconsistent  for  me  to  permit  my  own  daugh 
ter  to  take  up  a  line  of  work  entirely  opposite 
to  the  principles  which  I  have  held,  to  the  doc 
trine  which  I  have  always  preached." 

"My  dear  Mrs.  Simmons!"  exclaimed  the 
Bishop  in  surprise.  "You  dont  mean  to  tell  me 
that  you  oppose  separate  schools  in  the  South 
do  you,  or  in  the  North  either  as  to  that  matter? 
Well  my  good  woman  you  are  standing  in  your 
own  light,"  said  the  Bishop  somewhat  peeved. 
"Your  daughter  is  missing  a  great  opportunity 
if  you  continue  to  adhere  to  the  stand  which 
you  have  heretofore  taken.  Take  my  advice 


106  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

and  cease  to  advocate  doctrine  that  is  not  in 
keeping  with  the  growth  and  development  of 
the  talents  and  skill  which  is  dormant  in  your 
own  race,  and  in  your  own  children." 

Mrs.  Simmons  listened  to  what  the  good 
man  said  very  patiently.  There  was  a  time 
when  it  would  be  useless  for  anyone  to  call  her 
attenion  to  such  things  as  the  Bishop  had,  for  she 
would  have  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  him.  She 
made  no  reply  but  stood  looking  in  an 
other  direction  in  a  thoughtful  manner. 

"Come  Sister  Simmons,  what  do  you  say?" 
said  the  Bishop  believing  her  to  be  giving  the 
matter  favorable  consideration. 

"Well  Bishop  Granville,  I  will  have  to  think 
it  over.  I  will  talk  to  Mr.  Simmons  about  it  and 
see  what  he  says.  What  salary  does  the  posi 
tion  pay?"  she  asked. 

"Well  they  pay  according  to  the  length  of 
time  one  serves  as  a  teacher.  They  begin  with 
sixty-five  dollars  per  month  and  after  three 
years  they  continue  to  increase  until  they  reach 
the  maximum,  which  is  one  hundred  dollars  per 
month.  This  will  be  a  fine  thing  for  Miss 
Lillian.  I  want  her  to  see  what  the  South  is 
doing,  and  this  will  be  her  opportunity.  The 
school  lasts  ten  months." 


A  TEACHER  WANTED  107 

"When  will  you  be  back  this  way?"  asked 
Mrs.  Simmons. 

"In  about  three  weeks  from  now.  But  if 
you  decide  to  let  her  go,  you  had  better  send 
word  to  my  next  stopping  place.  I  will  be  there 
for  a  week.  Here  is  my  address,"  writing  it  on 
a  card,  he  handed  it  to  her.  "You  see,"  he  contin 
ued,  "they  want  to  get  the  matter  of  selecting 
teachers  out  of  the  way  as  soon  as  possible 
though  school  will  not  open  until  September. 
That  will  give  Miss  Lillian  a  chance  to  prepare." 

"I  shall  depend  upon  you  child.  I  know 
your  parents  will  consent.  I  shall  make  no 
further  inquiry  for  a  teacher.  I  will  see  that 
you  secure  the  position."  With  this  he  bade 
them  a  hearty  good-bye  and  departed  for  the 
residence  of  the  minister. 

"Mother,"  said  Lillian,  after  the  Bishop  had 
gone,  "surely  the  Lord  sent  his  good  Angel  to 
our  relief.  This  is  a  certain  answer  to  my 
prayers.  Oh  how  thankful  I  am  that  he  came 
with  the  offer.  Just  think  sixty-five  dollars  per 
month.  In  ten  months  time  I  will  have  enough 
money  to  pay  off  all  the  debts.  Papa  can  now 
mortgage  the  property  with  safety  and  secure 
the  ready  cash,  and  relieve  the  immediate  strain 
cant  he  mama?" 


108  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

"Dont  be  too  elated  my  dear,"  said  Mrs. 
Simmons  with  a  smile.  "You  are  not  gone  yet. 
Your  father  will  have  to  have  something  to  say 
about  it.  Besides  I  have  not  wholly  made  up 
my  mind  that  that  will  be  the  proper  thing  to 
do.  You  know  the  decided  stand  that  we  took 
three  years  ago  against  Jim  Crowism." 

"Well  I  dont  care  mother,  you  all  were 
wrong  at  that  time  any  way.  This  will  be  sim 
ply  an  acknowledgement  that  you  were  wrong 
in  your  opinions  regarding  separate  schools. 
An  open  confession  will  harm  no  one.  Dont  be 
too  proud  to  acknowledge  when  you  are  wrong 
and  try  to  make  amends  if  possible,"  said 
Lillian,  thinking  of  Charles  Christopher.  "Be 
sides,"  she  continued,  "these  people  have  noth 
ing  to  offer  us  and  when  we  are  down  they 
look  upon  us  with  scorn.  Look  how  they  did 
when  I  attempted  to  get  up  a  music  class.  They 
felt  as  you  have  felt,  that  they  must  have  a 
white  music  teacher  for  their  children.  And  I 
know  that  I  am  better  prepared  to  teach  music 
than  the  teacher  that  most  of  them  have  se 
cured. 

"Away  with  this  false  pride  and  this  love 
for  the  other  race,  and  the  foolish  idea  that 
people  of  our  own  race  have  no  ability.  We 


A  TEACHER  WANTED  109 

can  do  just  as  well  as  any  one  else  and  a  great 
many  times  better,  when  we  have  the  training 
and  the  chance." 

"I  am  going  South  and  work  in  the  interest 
of  my  people,  that's  what  I  am  going  to  do.  I 
see  plainly  that  I  can  never  amount  to  anything 
up  here." 

"Well  my  dear,  tis  true  that  there  is  noth 
ing  for  you  to  do  up  here,  and  I  am  sure  that 
you  are  fitted  for  the  work  down  there.  I  sup 
pose  separate  schools  are  alright  in  the  South 
if  they  secure  people  who  have  been  trained  in 
the  mixed  schools  of  the  North  as  you  have 
been,  to  teach  them." 

"And  I  think  mixed  schools  in  the  North 
would  be  alright,  too,  if  they  would  mix  the 
teaching  force,"  said  Lillian.  "Why  I  was  a 
much  better  scholar  than  Maggie  Armstrong, 
always  made  better  marks,  and  many  have  been 
the  times  that  I  have  worked  out  her  algebra 
problems  for  her.  Now  she  is  teaching,  making 
one  hundred  and  ten  dollars  per  month.  And 
here  I  am  doing  nothing.  What  is  the  use  to 
excel  in  school  if  a  person  gets  no  more  out  of 
it  than  I  am  getting.  One  nights'  honor  will 
not  last  me  for  a  lifetime.  I  must  have  some 
thing  to  do.  And  if  the  good  Bishop  will  secure 


110  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

the  position,  I  am  going  South,"  said  Lillian 
passionately. 

"Why  Lillian  I  never  saw  you  so  wrought 
up  before.  Why  I  am  surprised  at  you,"  said 
her  mother.  "Calm  yourself  a  little.  If  you 
really  wish  to  go  South  I  shall  not  oppose  you. 
What  ever  your  father  says  is  alright  with  me. 
Sixty-five  dollars  per  month  will  be  a  neat  little 
salary  for  you.  I  am  glad  that  you  are  prepar 
ed  to  earn  that  much.  The  only  thing  is  I  dread 
the  gossip  that  will  follow  this  movement." 

"Mother  if  these  gossipers  were  paying  our 
debts  for  us,  it  would  perhaps  do  for  us  to  listen 
to  them.  But  they  would  not  give  us  a  penny 
to  save  us  and  they  will  laugh  at  us  when  we 
are  down.  I  thought  you  understood  them 
better  than  that.  I  did  not  think  you  would 
heed  what  they  would  have  to  say." 

At  the  dinner  table  Captain  Simmons  was 
told  of  the  Bishop's  visit,  and  of  his  offer  to 
Lillian.  Captain  Simmons  was  highly  elated 
over  the  news,  which  was  especially  cheering 
to  him  who  knew  not  which  way  to  turn  to  es 
cape  his  debtors  who  were  harassing  him  con 
tinually. 

"Yes  Lillian,  you  may  go.  I  am  proud  of 
you.  Those  people  down  there  need  more  of 


A  TEACHER  WANTED  111 

our  intelligent,  educated  people  in  their  midst. 
There  is  a  great  field  of  labor  in  the  South." 

Mrs.  Simmons  confronted  him  with  the 
question  of  inconsistency.  "We  in  principle  are 
opposed  to  separate  schools,"  said  she.  "How 
are  we  going  to  harmonize  this  step  with  our 
views?" 

"Never  mind  that  mother,"  answered  Cap 
tain  Simmons.  "Every  one  up  here  knows 
what  is  the  custom  down  there,  and  they  know 
that  they  need  the  very  best  talent  possible  to 
cope  with  the  ignorance  that  prevails.  Why 
many  of  our  Northern  white  people  have  gone 
South  to  teach  colored  people.  And  besides 
we  do  not  have  to  tell  people  what  Lillian  is 
doing.  If  you  fear  criticism,  we  will  keep  her 
whereabouts  a  secrect." 

Lillian  did  not  say  very  much,  although  she 
did  not  like  the  idea  of  keeping  the  matter  se 
cret.  But  she  was  too  glad  to  have  her  father 
take  the  stand  in  her  favor,  to  offer  any  objec 
tions  at  this  time. 

George  was  glad  to  know  that  his  sister  had 
such  an  offer,  which  meant  so  much  in  a  finan 
cial  way.  ,  He  was  anxious  for  the  burden  of 
the  family  support  which  at  present  was  resting 
heavily  on  his  shoulders,  to  be  lightened  some, 


112  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

even  by  his  beautiful  beloved  sister.  He  had 
the  same  feeling  though,  that  he  would  have 
had  if  she  had  been  going  away  as  missionary 
to  the  heathen  land  of  Africa. 

George's  ideas  and  cpiticism  of  the  Southern 
people  must  be  over  looked  by  the  reader.  For 
he  had  never  been  in  that  section,  nor  had  he 
ever  met  any  of  the  wealthy  and  highly  educat 
ed,  southern  colored  people  who  sometimes 
visit  through  the  summer  in  the  North.  He  is 
young  and  inexperienced,  but  he  is  sensible  and 
can  and  will  be  taught  better  some  day. 

That  night  Mrs.  Simmons  spurred  on  by  the 
sensible  words,  as  she  thought,  spoken  by  her 
husband  and  anxious  to  relieve  the  financial 
strain,  eagerly  sat  down  and  wrote  Bishop  Gran- 
ville  a  letter  thanking  him  for  his  kind  sugges 
tions  and  the  interest  he  had  taken  in  her 
daughter.  That  after  looking  into  the  matter 
of  which  he  spoke,  she  and  her  husband,  Captain 
Simmons,  had  decided  to  allow  their  daughter 
Lillian  to  take  the  position  as  teacher  in  the 
South.  Fearing  that  there  might  be  some  slip, 
she  urged  the  Bishop  to  be  sure  and  do  all 
that  he  could.  Now  that  she  had  decided,  she 
did  not  want  anything  to  go  wrong.  That  if 
anything  should  happen  to  prevent  Lillian's  se- 


A  TEACHER  WANTED  113 

curing  the  position,  the  disappointment  to  the 
family  would  be  great.  She  closed  her  letter 
in  the  customary  way,  sealed  it  and  sent  it  away 
that  same  night  by  special  delivery. 

The  next  day  she  received  the  reply.  The 
Bishop  was  very  glad  that  she  had  set  aside  the 
prejudice  which  she  had  always  held  against 
colored  schools  and  teachers  and  told  her  so  in 
his  letter.  He  told  her  to  have  no  fear,  that 
the  place  was  secure  for  Lillian.  And  thanked 
her  and  Mr.  Simmons  for  reaching  the  right 
conclusion  and  for  so  promptly  informing  him. 
He  closed  invoking  the  richest  blessings  from 
Heaven  upon  the  whole  family. 


CHAPTER  X 


A  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

In  the  past  three  years  Charles  Christopher 
has  visited  many  places  in  the  North.  He  has 
had  an  opportunity  to  observe  many  things  and 
has  not  failed  to  make  note  of  them.  At  the 
various  summer  resorts  where  he  has  been  em 
ployed  he  has  been  in  close  contact  with  all 
classes  of  people  and  has  made  them  a  study. 
Sociology,  psychology  and  other  subjects  along 
the.  lines  of  human  interest  naturally  appeal  to 
him.  He  is  also  a  constant  visitor  to  the  Library 
and  has  devoured  the  contents  of  many  books. 
Besides  he  reads  the  daily  papers  and  is  up  on 
all  the  current  news  of  the  days.  Broad  mind 
ed,  big  hearted  he  grows  in  gentility,  dignity 
and  manhood  as  the  years  go  by. 

He  often  thinks  of  Lillian  Simmons  and  has 
an  overwhelming  desire  to  see  her  once  more. 
He  has  been  tempted  many  times  to  write  her, 
just  to  send  her  a  post  card,  but  each  time  his 
heart  has  failed  him.  He  realizes  full  well  the 
114 


A  BUSINESS  VENTURE  115 

truth  of  the  oft  repeated  expression,  "A  faint 
heart  never  won  fair  lady."  but  he  has  not  the 
courage  to  drop  the  many  letters  that  he  has 
nerved  himself  to  write  to  her,  in  the  mail  box. 
He  is  strong  and  courageous  in  all  things  else, 
seemingly,  except  in  friendly  overtures  and 
courtship  to  beautiful  Lillian  Simmons.  He 
cannot  rely  upon  the  hope  which  she  held  out 
to  him,  as  a  reward  for  the  sacrifice  that  he 
made  to  please  or  to  gratify  her,  the  day  on 
which  he  left.  He  is  afraid  that  he  may  have 
misunderstood,  that  her  tone  and  manner  did 
not  bespeak  what  he  at  first  had  hoped.  It 
was  very  possible  that  he  being  excited  and 
carried  away  by  her  abrupt  appearance,  was 
mistaken  after  all.  Besides  he  had  neglected 
so  long,  that  it  was  no  use  to  try  to  gain  recog 
nition  from  her  now.  "If  she  is  not  married  to 
another  she  has  forgotten  me  in  this  time,"  he 
thought.  Thus  for  a  long  time  he  would  think 
of  her  and  wonder  if  he  would  ever  see  her 
again. 

Time  rolled  on  and  Charles  continued  to 
work.  It  is  now  the  month  of  September. 
Charles  has  saved  up  a  good  sized  bank  account 
and  he  is  anxious  to  go  into  business  for  him 
self.  Being  familiar  with  the  grocery  business 


116  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

he  begins  to  think  out  some  locality  that  would 
be  suitable  for  a  business  venture  along  this 
line.  And  after  running  over  the  list  of  cities 
and  towns  in  which  he  had  been  and  having 
made  notes  of  the  possibilities  for  a  business 
venture  among  colored  people  in  them,  he  de 
cided  that  there  would  be  no  better  place  to 
start  than  in  the  town  where  he  had  met  oppo 
sition  because  he  was  from  the  South. 

There  was  at  least  three  thousand  colored 
people  in  the  place,  the  majority  of  whom  lived 
well  and  owned  their  own  homes.  He  could 
see  no  reason  why  they  would  not  trade  with 
him.  He  would  keep  a  neat  clean  place  and 
though  his  stock  would  be  small,  it  should  be  as 
good  and  as  fresh  as  any. 

He  had  also  noticed  that  the  white  people 
of  the  North  were  indeed  very  friendly  and 
were  disposed  to  recognize  the  true  worth  of  a 
man,  and  he  felt  sure  that  many  of  them  would 
trade  with  him  if  he  should  carry  such  things 
as  they  would  want. 

He  is  ready  to  acknowledge  that  there  is  a 
much  better  spirit  existing  toward  colored  peo 
ple  as  a  race  in  the  North  than  there  is  in  the 
South.  The  Southern  white  people  bestow  their 
love  and  friendship  upon  individuals  of  the 


A  BUSINESS  VENTURE  117 

race  on  account  of  family  ties  and  past  remem 
brances  of  loyalty  and  other  sentimental  rea 
sons.  But  they  care  naught  for  them  as  a  race. 
They  can  see  nothing  in  them.  They  criticize 
them  for  being  rough,  uncouth  and  shiftless, 
without  thinking  of  the  original  cause  of  their 
degredation. 

The  Northern  white  people  have  a  tendency 
to  look  upon  them  with  pity  and  are  really  glad  to 
see  them  prosper.  And  Charles  Christopher, 
ever  on  the  alert,  was  sensible  to  this  fact  and 
was  always  ready  to  thank  them  and  to  show 
his  appreciation.  Although  it  was  not  pity  that 
he  wanted,  but  a  fair  chance  and  he  would  do 
the  rest. 

He  went  over  his  plans  several  times  in  his 
mind  and  finally  concluding  that  he  was  on  the 
right  road,  decided  that  he  would  quit  the  place 
where  he  was  now  working  in  about  ten  days 
and  start  for  the  scene  of  his  venture. 

Charles  was  a  young  man  of  decision  and 
when  he  made  up  his  mind  to  do  a  thing,  he 
would,  as  a  rule,  go  through  with  it.  So  upon 
the  day  set,  he  departed  for  the  city  where  he 
had  been  the  cause  of  so  much  turmoil  and 
strife.  For  even  after  he  was  gone  from  the 
place  it  seemed  that  outbreaks  and  disturbances 


118  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

were  more  frequent  than  ever,  due  to  the  North 
ern  people  tightening  up  reins  so  to  speak  and 
attempting  to  restrain  the  Southern  people  from 
utterances  which  did  not  harmonize  with  their 
own,  and  the  Southern  peoples  resistence,  who 
it  seemed  had  become  emboldened,  partly  by 
the  remarks  of  the  paper  and  partly  by  old  man 
Littlejohn's  speech  and  the  stand  which  he  took 
in  their  behalf  at  the  meeting  that  night. 
They  began  to  think  and  talk  among  themselves 
after  that.  They  were  not  long  in  discovering 
that  they  were  in  the  majority  and  they  knew 
that  they  were  free  and  did  not  have  to  be 
afraid  to  express  their  views  along  the  lines  of 
their  policy,  for  the  solution  of  the  race  prob 
lem.  All  this  caused  the  confusion  among  the 
people. 

But  since  Captain  Simmons  has  lost  his  po 
sition,  and  with  it  the  greater  part  of  his  influ 
ence,  things  have  been  much  quieter.  He  and 
his  son  George  and  Frank  Maxwell  were  the 
chief  agitators,  but  now  it  seems  that  they  have 
no  following  and  it  is  difficult  for  them  to  get  a 
hearing. 

So  there  is  no  better  time  for  Charles 
Christopher  to  begin  business  in  that  city  than 
now.  He  boards  the  train  and  is  soon  speeding 


A  BUSINESS  VENTURE  119 

at  a  rapid  rate  toward  the  place  of  destiny.  En 
chanted  by  the  beautiful  scenes  along  the  route, 
Charles  falls  into  day  dreaming.  He  pulls  back 
the  curtain  and  takes  a  peep  into  the  dim  future 
He  beholds  himself  a  man  of  wealth  and  influ 
ence,  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  and  owner 
of  large  business  interests.  He  sees  a  fickle 
populace  courting  favors  at  his  hands.  He  sees 
himself  a  stalwart  leader  of  his  people,  shield 
ing  them  from  the  wiles  of  the  demagogue  and 
the  snares  of  the  unscrupulous  politicians.  He 
hears  himself  preaching  the  doctrines  of  love 
and  truth.  He  warns  against  the  vice  and  the 
shame  and  pretense  in  society.  He  sees  him 
self  first  a  true  friend,  then  a  lover  of  Lillian 
Simmons.  He  hears  the  chimes  of  the  wedding 
bells.  He  sees  himself  a  trusted  husband  and 
then  a  doting  father.  And  then  by  a  sudden 
lurch  of  the  train  he  awakes  from  his  reverie 
and  finds  himself  the  same  simple,  plain  yet 
sensible  Charles  Christopher  that  he  has  al 
ways  been. 

The  train  having  entered  the  city,  his  train 
ed  eye  catches  glimpses  of  the  familiar  sights 
as  it  glides  swiftly  along.  Here  flows  the  ma 
jestic  river.  There  upon  its  banks  is  the  same 
rustic  bench  upon  which  he  sat  in  reverie  the 


120  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

morning  when  Lillian  Simmons  approached 
fairylike  and  pleaded  with  him  to  leave  the  city. 
There  is  the  spot  where  he  and  George  Sim 
mons,  like  gladiators,  fought.  Over  yonder  is 
the  Simmons  stately,  but  somewhat  weather- 
beaten  home.  It  is  badly  in  need  of  paint. 

The  train  is  now  at  the  depot  from  which 
he  departed  three  years  ago.  He  realizes  more 
fully  now  where  he  is  and  what  is  his  purpose. 
He  wonders  if  Lillian  Simmons  is  still  in  the 
city,  and  will  he  have  a  chance  to  see  her.  He 
picked  up  his  grip  and  moved  slowly  toward 
the  door  of  the  crowded  train.  And  as  he  was 
descending  the  steps,  lifting  his  eyes,  he  beheld 
gazing  into  his  face,  the  heavy  lashed,  deeply 
set  black  eyes  of  Lillian  Simmons.  Amid  the 
shouts  of  "Good-bye"  and  waving  hands, 
Lillian  Simmons  got  on  the  train  that  Charles 
Christopher  got  off.  It  was  all  like  a  dream  to 
both  of  them,  so  quickly  did  it  happen.  A  glance, 
a  recognition  and  a  deep  thrill  of  the  heart  and 
that  was  all! 

Charles  Christopher  had  come  and  Lillian 
Simmons  had  gone  and  not  a  word  was  spoken. 
So  a  great  barrier  still  exists  between  these  two 
who  would  be  friends.  "The  irony  of  fate," 
thought  Charles  as  he  stood  and  watched  the 


A  BUSINESS  VENTURE  121 

train  with  increasing  speed  move  away,  bearing 
Lillian  Simmons  thither  he  knew  not  where. 
Then  collecting  himself  with  an  effort  he  board 
ed  a  car  and  rode  up  into  the  city. 

The  whole  Simmons  family  and  many  of 
their  friends  were  at  the  station  to  see  Lillian 
off.  They  saw  Charles  when  he  alighted  from 
the  train  and  were  too  surprised  at  first  to  say 
anything.  George  finally  whispered  to  his 
mother  and  told  her  that  old  Charley  Christo 
pher  had  gotten  off  the  train. 

"Is  that  so,"  said  Mrs.  Simmons,  "where  is 
he?  I  have  never  seen  him." 

"There  he  is,  getting  on  the  car,"  said 
George. 

"Is  that  he?  Why  I  never  figured  his  be 
ing  that  sort  of  a  looking  fellow.  He  is  not  a 
rough  looking  man  at  all.  I  wonder  why  he 
comes  back  here,"  said  Mrs.  Simmons. 

"I  don't  have  the  least  idea,"  said  George. 
"I  know  this,  though,  he  shall  not  stay  here 
long."  He  then  turned  to  his  father  who  was  a 
few  steps  behind  and  said:  "Father  I  guess  we 
will  have  to  call  another  meeting.  I  see  that 
Charley  Christopher  is  back  here." 

"Who  is  Charley  Christopher?"  returned 
his  father. 


122  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

"Why  surely  you  haven't  forgotten  him. 
He  is  the  Southern  darky  that  I  had  the  fight 
with  three  years  ago.  You  know  the  one  we 
ran  away  from  here,"  said  George  sneeringly. 

"Oh  yes,"  said  his  father.  "Was  that  him 
who  got  off  the  train?" 

"Yes,"  replied  George. 

"Well,  wait,"  said  Captain  Simmons.  I 
thought  I  had  seen  that  face  before.  I  wonder 
what  he  wants  here  now." 

"I  have  not  the  least  idea,"  said  George. 
Don't  you  think  we  had  better  get  the  boys  to 
gether  and  find  out?" 

"Well  wait  a  day  or  two.  Maybe  he  means 
no  harm.  We  will  not  molest  him  as  long  as  he 
behaves  himself." 

"Alright,"  said  George,  turning  to  go  to  his 
work  which  was  in  a  different  direction  to  that 
his  parents  had  to  go, 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Simmons  were  too  deeply  en 
grossed  in  the  welfare  of  their  daughter 
Lillian  to  allow  the  subject  of  Charles  Christo 
pher's  return  to  the  city  to  find  lodgement  in 
their  minds.  So  no  more  was  said  about  it  at 
that  time. 

Charles  Christopher  wasted  no  time  after 
his  arrival  in  the  city.  He  set  out  at  once  in 


A  BUSINESS  VENTURE  123 

search  of  a  desirable  locality  in  which  to  begin 
his  new  venture.  Of  course  he  had  no  thought 
of  finding  a  place  way  down  in  the  heart  of  the 
city,  for  there  the  rent  would  be  too  high. 
What  he  wanted  was  a  place  in  a  colored  locali 
ty,  so  near  that  they  would  prefer  to  trade  with 
him  rather  than  go  a  long  distance  to  town  for 
the  small  things  in  the  grocery  line  which  are 
very  often  needed  in  a  rush.  He  was  not  long 
in  finding  the  place  that  suited  him.  About  ten 
squares  from  the  main  part  of  the  city  and  re 
mote  from  any  car  line,  and  at  the  entrance  of 
a  colored  settlement,  he  located  his  neat  little 
grocery  store.  His  stock,  though  small,  was 
complete.  Tastily  arranged  and  fresh  in  appear 
ance,  it  was  not  long  before  the  people  were 
tempted  to  buy.  The  first  day  after  opening  he 
counted  his  customers.  Twenty  white  and 
fourteen  colored  persons  had  been  in  and  made 
small  purchases.  After  the  first  week,  he  was 
by  his  increasing  trade,  assured  of  great  success. 
Many  words  of  encouragement  fell  from  the  lips 
of  the  people  who  welcomed  his  enterprise. 
They  found  it  to  their  interest  to  have  him  in 
their  midst,  and  felt  that  he  was  accomodating 
them  by  locating  near  them.  And  too,  he  was 
so  kind  and  obliging.  His  personality,  which 


124  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

he  had  seized  the  opportunity  to  develop  when 
traveling  when  employed  in  the  various  hotels 
of  the  North,  was  now  asserting  itself,  for 
through  it  he  was  enabled  to  handle  his  patrons 
successfully  and  increase  his  trade. 

Say  what  you  will,  it  is  the  man  with  the 
vim  and  with  a  pleasing  personality  who  gets 
the  big  business.  In  six  months  time  Charles 
was  enabled  to  double  his  stock  and  his  pros 
pects  for  future  business  and  trade  had  increas 
ed  a  hundred  per  cent.  Much  comment  was 
made  on  his  enterprise,  and  words  of  praise 
could  be  heard  for  him  on  every  hand.  The 
colored  people  had  begun  to  feel  proud  of  their 
colored  stored  "Christopher's  Grocery"  was  all 
the  talk  among  them.  They  took  great  pride 
in  telling  strangers  about  it  and  each  one  felt 
somehow  that  he  had  an  interest  in  it.  Every 
one  was  pleased  except  Frank  Maxwell  and  the 
Simmons  family. 


CHAPTER  XI 


MRS.  SIMMONS'  REBUKE 

George  Simmons  watched  the  business  grow 
and  listened  to  the  praise  bestowed  upon 
Charles  Christopher  with  disgust.  He  was  in 
tensely  human  and  could  not  help  feeling  keen-* 
ly  the  pangs  of  jealousy  and  envy  caused  by  the 
progress  and  popularity  of  his  erstwhile  foe. 
And  in  an  intensely  human  way  he  began  to 
plan  an  interruption,  to  impede,  if  possible,  to 
stay  Charles  Christopher's  rapid  growth, 

Captain  Simmons  felt  piqued  at  the  way 
the  people  were  supporting  a  Negro  business, 
and  could  have  and  would  have  taken  some 
steps  to  stop  it  if  there  had  not  been  so  many 
white  people  trading  there  also.  He  could  not 
argue  that  Negroes  were  separating  themselves 
from  the  whites,  that  they  were  sowing  seeds 
of  prejudice,  that  they  were  endorsing  and  in 
viting  segregation.  The  bottom  had  fallen  out 
of  his  argument,  since  the  whites  were  praising 
Charles  so  highly  and  were  encouraging  him 
125 


126  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

with  their  patronage.  So  he  was  at  a  loss.  He 
could  think  of  nothing  to  say  or  do. 

Lillian's  having  to  go  South  to  teach  and 
Charles  Christopher's  coming  North  and  enter 
ing  into  a  successful  business,  set  Mrs.  Simmons 
to  thinking  deeply  regarding  the  race  problem. 
She  often  thought  of  the  words  of  Bishop  Gran- 
ville  the  morning  when  he  made  the  offer  for 
Lillian  to  teach  in  the  South.  "Cease  to  advo 
cate  doctrine  that  is  not  in  keeping  with  the 
growth  and  development  of  the  talents  and 
skill  which  is  dormant  in  your  own  race  and  in 
your  own  children."  His  words  then  had  the 
ring  of  truth  about  them  and  she  had  often 
dwelt  upon  them. 

And  now  they  have  more  meaning  in  them 
when  she  notes  the  success  that  Charles  Chris 
topher  is  haying,  through  his  business  enter 
prise.  She  too,  in  a  way,  envies  him.  Like  all 
good  mothers  she  would  be  so  glad  were  it  her 
son.  She  now  sees  clearly  which  boy  has  the 
better  chance.  She  realizes  that  the  man  doing 
business  for  himself  has  a  great  advantage  over 
the  one  working  for  some  one  else.  How  grand 
it  would  have  been  had  she  and  Captain  Sim 
mons,  while  in  a  prosperous  condition,  had  had 
the  good  sense  to  have  started  some  kind  of 


MRS.  SIMMONS'  REBUKE  127 

business  for  themselves.  They  would  have 
been  independent  by  now,  and  could  be  able  to 
give  their  own  children  employment.  "But  it 
is  too  late  now,"  she  thought.  "I  can't  see  how 
George  can  ever  be  anything  else  other  than  a 
porter  in  a  dry  goods  store  where  he  is  now 
working.  He  doesn't  make  enough  money  to 
lay  any  of  it  away.  If  Mr.  Simmons  don't  get 
something  to  do  soon,  I  don't  know  what  will 
become  of  us.  Perhaps  the  Negroes  of  the 
South  are  right  after  all  in  pursuing  their  poli 
cies  advocating  separate  business  and  separate 
schools.  I  see  plainly  the  advantage  of  both." 

That  evening  at  the  supper  table  Charles 
Christopher  was  the  subject  for  discussion  by 
the  Simmons  family. 

Mrs.  Simmons  began  by  asking  George 
what  purpose  had  he  in  life.  She  could  see 
nothing  for  him,  but  she  thought  perhaps  he 
had  some  plan  that  he  had  never  unfolded  to 
herself  and  Mr.  Simmons.  He  was  now  past 
twenty-five  and  she  thought  it  time  for  him  to 
make  up  his  mind  what  he  would  like  to  do. 

Charles  Christopher's  success  had  brought 
things  to  an  issue.  His  Southern  idea  looked 
good  to  her,  and  she  wanted  to  find  out  what 
George  thought  about  it. 


123  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

"Do  you  always  expect  to  remain  a  porter 
in  the  dry  goods  store?"  said  she,  putting  the 
question  directly. 

"Why  no  mother,"  said  George  in  an  in 
jured  tone. 

"Well  what  do  purpose  to  take  up  as  a  life 
work?"  she  asked. 

George  sat  silent.  He  really  had  no  pur 
pose.  He  had  gotten  past  the  place  where  he 
was  so  ambitious.  In  the  past  year  or  so  he 
seemed  content  to  draw  his  small  weekly  pit 
tance  and  have  it  spent  almost  before  it  was 
made.  Tis  true  he  had  used  most  of  it  at  home 
while  the  family  was  in  such  straitened  cir 
cumstances,  still  he  realized  that  he  was  not 
making  the  headway  that  he  should,  consider 
ing  his  superior  education  and  training.  But 
he  knew  nothing  else  that  he  could  do,  so  he 
was  simply  drifting  he  knew  not  where. 

"Tell  me  what  you  are  going  to  do  George," 
insisted  his  mother. 

It  was  plain  that  George  had  no  definite  aim 
or  plan  in  life  and  his  mother  felt  sorry  for  him. 
She  felt  that  she  and  her  husband  was  the 
cause  of  his  destitution  of  ideas.  She  began  to 
think  what  the  other  race  has  provided  for  their 
children.  They  have  factories,  foundries,  stores 


MRS.   SIMMONS'   REBUKE  129 

and  business  of  all  sorts  in  which  to  place  them. 
Whether  they  finish  school  or  not,  they  can 
find  employment  for  them. 

But  what  have  the  colored  people  for  their 
children  to  do?  Here  is  George  who  is  an  ac 
complished  scholar,  who  graduated  with  high 
honors  and  who  is  as  capable  as  any  white  boy 
in  the  city.  What  has  he  to  do?  He  cannot 
teach  for  they  do  not  employ  colored  teachers 
in  mixed  schools.  He  has  applied  oftimes  for 
a  position  as  clerk  in  the  stores,  in  the  shipping 
houses  and  in  the  city  hall,  but  each  time  he  has 
met  with  refusal.  To  get  the  position  as  a  por 
ter  which  he  now  holds,  he  had  to  go  through 
a  lot  of  "red  tape",  and  had  to  have  a  tremen 
dous  "pull." 

"And  this  is  the  condition  that  confronts  all 
young  and  deserving  colored  men  of  the  North," 
thought  Mrs.  Simmons. 

George  stammered  out  some  sort  of  a  weak 
reply  to  his  mother.  He  said  something  about 
becoming  a  civil  engineer,  or  he  would  like  to 
take  a  course  in  pharmacy.  His  replies  were 
altogether  unsatisfactory  to  his  mother. 

"Well,"  said  Mrs.  Simmons,  "until  you  and 
your  father  show  me  differently,  I  am  a  con 
vert  to  the  Southern  idea.  I  have  been  watch- 


130  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

ing  this  fellow  Christopher  in  business  and  to 
my  way  of  thinking  he  was  right  at  the  time 
you  all  had  the  fight  and  from  all  appearances 
he  is  right  now.  Things  are  as  plain  to  me  now 
as  they  can  be.  Our  family  is  being  benefited 
by  separate  schools,  and  I  am  sure  it  would  be 
greatly  benefited  now  if  we  had  such  a  busi 
ness  as  Charles  Christopher  has  established. 
You  had  just  as  well  have  had  a  business  of 
your  own  as  for  Christopher  to  come  here  and 
set  up  one.  I  understand  that  he  is  getting 
rich.  It  is  so  strange  that  we  have  all  been  so 
blind.  As  I  say,  if  I  am  wrong  I  want  you  and 
your  father  to  set  me  right.  How  about  it  Mr. 
Simmons?" 

Captain  Simmons  had  been  sitting  listening 
quietly  to  what  Mrs.  Simmons  was  saying.  He 
realized  that  much  of  what  she  said  was  true. 
But  he  was  not  frank  enough  to  admit  it.  He 
said  that  Mrs.  Simmons  could  think  as  she 
pleased,  but  as  for  him  he  never  would  become 
a  believer  in  Southern  Negro  ideas.  And  as 
for  Charles  Christopher  he  bet  he  would  go  un 
der  in  a  short  time.  As  all  other  Negro  under 
takings  usually  do. 

"But  you  will  admit,"  returned  Mrs.  Sim 
mons,  "that  we  would  be  better  off  if  George 


MRS.  SIMMONS'  REBUKE  131 

had  a  business  like  that,  will  you  not?  I  have 
never  been  there,  but  they  say  his  place  is  al 
ways  full  and  that  he  has  as  much  white  trade 
as  colored.  He  is  kept  busy  all  the  time." 

"That's  alright  mother.  He  will  go  under 
just  the  same.  Then  you  will  have  a  chance  to 
try  your  hand.  If  you  think  you  have  enough 
business  ability,  I  will  see  if  I  can't  start  you 
off." 

Seeing  that  he  would  be  unable  to  carry  on 
a  successful  argument  with  his  wife,  this  was 
the  joking  way  in  which  Captain  Simmons  turn 
ed  her  aside. 

"Well,"  said  Mrs.  Simmons,  "I  am  serious 
about  it  I  do  wish  that  George  did  have  some 
kind  of  business  of  his  own." 

George  had  nothing  more  to  say. 


CHAPTER   XII 


CHRISTOPHER'S  GROCERY  BURNS 

At  the  mention  of  Charles  Christopher  the 
pangs  of  envy  and  jealousy  began  to  gnaw  at 
George's  heart.  "He  is  showing  me  up  is  he?" 
was  the  thought  that  entered  his  mind.  "I 
guess  he  is  here  to  try  to  prove  his  side  of  the 
argument.  He  wants  to  make  his  Southern 
ideas  stick  I  guess.  Alright.  We'll  see." 

Supper  now  being  over  they  arose  and  left 
the  table.  George  put  on  his  hat  and  coat  and 
went  toward  town. 

That  night  about  twelve  o'clock  the  hideous 
sound  of  the  city  fire  alarm  broke  the  stillness 
of  the  night.  Shouts  of  fire  were  distinctly 
heard  in  the  Southeast  section  of  the  city.  The 
colored  people  were  greatly  excited.  "Fi — er! 
Fi — er!!  was  heard  in  all  directions. 

Soon  the  clatter  of  hoofs  and  the  clanging 

of  bells  were  heard  distinctly  for  blocks  away. 

And  in  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell  it,  the 

beautiful    panting   animals     were    reined    up 

132 


'CHAS. 

CHRISTOPHER 


Charles  Christopher's  Grocery  Store  Was  in 
Flames. 


CHRISTOPHER'S  GROCERY  BURNS     135 

champing  their  bits  in  the  vicinity  of  Charles 
Christopher's  grocery  store,  which  was  in 
flames.  No  one  knew  how  long  the  building 
had  been  burning  before  the  alarm  was  turned 
in,  but  it  was  evident  to  the  fire  chief,  that  it 
could  not  be  saved,  so  he  simply  let  it  burn  and 
sent  his  men  to  the  task  of  saving  other  build 
ings  which  were  near  and  were  in  imminent 
danger. 

When  Charles  Christopher  came  upon  the 
scene,  he  staggered  and  almost  fell  at  the  sight 
of  his  hard  earned  savings  curling  heavenward 
in  a  dense  cloud  of  smoke,  the  accumulations  of 
several  toilsome  years  ruthlessly  snatched  from 
his  hands.  The  object  wherein  lay  his  fondest 
future  dreams,  transformed  as  it  were,  into 
naught.  None  except  he  who  has  gone  through 
a  similar  experience  can  sympathize  fully  with 
Charles  Christopher,  or  understand  why  he  sat 
down  on  a  near  by  stone,  and  strong  man  that 
he  was,  wept  like  a  child.  He  knew  nothing 
else  to  do.  He  felt  that  he  was  done  for,  for  all 
time.  To  struggle  up  the  rugged  hills  of  life 
again  to  where  he  now  was,  would  be  too  hard 
and  would  take  too  long.  He  had  not  the  cour 
age  nor  strength  to  try.  All  his  future  hopes 
and  happiness  were  now  smouldering  in  ashes. 


136  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

How  did  it  happen?  This  question  was 
every  where  asked.  If  the  reader  has  not  al 
ready  guessed  aright  we  know  that  it  would  in 
terest  him  also  to  know.  But  as  some  investi 
gations  must  be  made,  and  as  such  should  not 
be  done  in  haste,  we  will  for  the  time  turn  our 
attention  to  Lillian  Simmons,  of  whom  we  have 
not  heard  for  some  time,  and  in  whom  we  know 
our  readers  have  as  much  interest  as  they  have 
in  the  immediate  fire  mystery. 


CHAPTER    XIII 


A  COLORED  TOWN 

B is  a  beautiful  little  town  of  the  South 

with  an  entire  colored  population,  situated  in 
the  midst  of  a  rich  farming  district  that  feeds 
fat  off  the  wheat  and  corn,  and  cattle  and  milk, 
produced  by  the  farmers  and  brought  to  mark 
et  within  its  limits.  On  Saturdays  its  streets 
are  thronged  with  sober,  business  like  people, 
selling  their  wares  and  making  needful  purchas 
es  from  its  well  stocked  stores.  It  is  really  in 
spiring  to  see  how  these  people,  as  if  by  instinct, 
take  to  trade  and  barter  and  have  thus  become 
a  part  of  the  commercial  world.  Drummers 
representing  the  great  wholesale  houses  of  the 
country,  make  regular  visits  to  this  enterprising 
and  fast  growing  little  city  of  five  thousand  in 
habitants  of  colored  people.  It  has  all  the  at 
tributes  necessary  for  a  great  and  thriving 
town. 

Everything  is  as  it  should  be,  and  the  per 
sons  who  have  striven  to  build  it  deserve  credit. 
137 


133  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

Its  schools  and  churches  are  of  a  high  standard 
and  are  well  equipped,  with  men  and  women  of 
good  character  and  excellent  educational  quali 
fications.  And  if  the  colored  people  of  the 
North  could  visit  it  and  note  the  clock-like  pre 
cision  with  which  the  wheels  of  industry  turn, 
note  the  poise,  the  ease,  the  confidence,  whith 
which  the  people  carry  on  their  operations,  note 
the  good  will  and  harmony  which  prevails 
among  them,  they  would  then  have  more  re 
spect  for  the  colored  South,  they  would  view 
life  in  a  different  light  and  all  doubts  as  to  a 
happy  future  for  the  Negro  race,  would  be  dis 
pelled.  One  can  be  benefitted  in  a  hundred 
different  ways  by  visiting  this  town. 

It  was  in  this  Utopian  city  with  its  people 
of  varied  hues,  that  Lillian  Simmons,  after  four 
days  of  tiresome  travel,  found  herself.  When 
she  alighted  at  the  station  she  found  the  ticket 
agent,  the  baggage  master  and  the  operator  all 
colored.  She  went  up  town  and  to  the  Post 
Office  and  found  the  Postmaster  and  his  five  or 
six  assistants  colored.  She  found  the  Mayor  and 
all  the  city  officers  colored.  The  four  or  five 
blocks  of  business  in  the  city  were  under  the 
control  of  colored  people.  Grocery  stores,  dry 
goods  store^  feed  stores,  shoe  stores,  drug 


A  COLORED  TOWN  139 

stores,  furniture  stores,  candy  stores,  meat 
shops,  restaurants,  fruit  stands  and  all  of  the 
various  lines  of  trade,  were  managed  by  per 
sons  of  African  descent.  Three  cotton  gins,  a 
livery  stable  and  a  lumber  yard,  she  learned, 
were  successfully  run  by  colored  men.  The 
streets  were  paved  and  the  city  was  well  light 
ed  by  an  electric  plant  owned  by  a  wealthy 
Negro,  who  had  secured  the  services  of  a  color 
ed  electrician.  The  dwellers  in  this  unique,  but 
beautiful  little  city,  were  all  colored.  The  pale 
faces  of  the  other  race  could  not  be  seen  here. 
And  Lillian's  heart  swelled  with  pride  when  she 
alighted  from  the  train,  and  looked  for  the  first 
time  upon  her  new  field  of  labor  and  saw  the 
make  up  of  its  citizenry.  A  new  feeling  came 
over  her.  Lillian  Simmons  was  no  "put  on", 
but  under  these  new  and  strange,  yet  happy 
and  inspiring  environments,  she  could  not  help 
assuming  the  air  and  carriage  of  a  Queen.  She 
felt  so  safe,  so  secure,  where  her  own  people, 
with  the  wisdom  of  the  ancient  romans,  were 
reigning  supreme.  To  say  that  she  was  amazed 
and  carried  away  at  what  she  saw  is  putting  it 
too  mildly.  She  was  astounded.  In  her  wild 
est  dreams  she  had  never  fancied  that  there  was 
such  a  place  under  the  sun  as  this  for  her  people. 


140  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

people.  "If  George  and  mama  and  papa 

could  only  see  this,"  she  thought. 


CHAPTER  XIV 


THE  JIM  CROW  CAR 

On  her  way  down  South  after  reaching  that 
section  where  she  was  asked  to  take  a  seat  in 
the  cars  prepared  for  colored  passengers, 
Lillians  heart  sank  within  her.  She  had  often 
heard  about  it,  but  she  had  never  known  what 
real  humiliation  was  until  she  was  asked  by 
the  conductor  to  take  her  baggage  and  go  into 
the  next  car  where  she  could  see  plainly  in  bold 
black  type,  a  placard  in  the  far  end  of  the 
coach,  "This  car  for  Negroes".  She  began  to 
wish  that  she  had  not  come  to  a  country  so 
heartless,  so  void  of  justice,  so  full  of— not 
prejudice,  but  pure  meanness,  as  to  force  a 
hardship  like  this  on  a  decent  cultured  woman 
who  was  traveling  alone. 

The  coach  into  which  she  had  to  go  was 
really  filthy.  The  seats  were  cushionless  and 
very  uncomfortable,  being  of  the  old  cane  bottom 
kind.  At  each  station  disrespectful  loud-mouth 
ed  foolish  Negroes  were  getting  on  and  off.  She 
141 


142  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

was  perfectly  disgusted  with  the  side  of  Negro  life 
in  the  South  which  she  saw  on  the  train  and  from 
the  car  window.  She  was  satisfied  now  that 
her  father  and  mother  and  George  were  right 
in  their  fight  against  the  influx  of  Southern  Ne 
groes  into  the  North.  She  almost  cried  when 
one  vile  uncouth  idiot  of  a  Negro  who  was  rid 
ing  backwards  so  he  could  look  her  squarely  in 
the  face,  shouted  to  her,  "Hello  pitty  yaller  gal, 
where  is  you  goin?"  0,  how  she  wished  for 
her  big  hot  headed  brother  George.  But  the 
ugly  Negro  said  no  more.  He  simply  sat  gazing 
at  her.  Lillian  began  to  wonder  if  the  South 
were  not  really  justified  in  lynching  such  de- 
prayed  animals  as  the  fellow  showed  himself  to 
be.  He  was  so  impudent  with  the  brim  of  his 
dusty  cap  pulled  to  one  side,  his  shirt  opened 
at  the  neck,  exposing  an  old  knit  undergarment, 
black  with  dirt.  She  saw  many  such  types  be 
fore  the  completion  of  her  journey.  In  fact  she 
saw  enough  to  put  her  out  with  Southern  Ne 
groes  forever.  She  could  understand  why 
"Jim  Crow  cars"  and  all  other  forms  of  segrega 
tion  in  the  South  were  necessary,  but  she  could 
not  feel  that  it  was  fair  to  treat  all  colored  peo 
ple  alike,  because  all  were  not  alike. 

After  she  had  ridden  in  the  separate  coach 


THE  JIM  CROW  CAR  143 

for  some  time  and  had  become  somewhat  rec 
onciled  to  the  condition,  the  conductor,  who 
was  apparently  waiting  for  this  moment,  ap 
proached  her  in  a  friendly  way  and  asked  her 
where  she  was  going  and  where  she  was  from. 
She  told  him,  and  she  could  scarcely  keep  back 
the  tears,  for  she  felt  that  he  was  sympathizing 
with  her. 

"Yes  I  thought  so,"  said  he.  "I  am  very 
sorry  indeed  to  place  you  in  here,  but  you  know 
we  have  to  obey  the  law,"  he  said  with  a  sor 
rowful  smile. 

"I  guess  you  are  right,"  said  Lillian. 

"Well  cheer  up  little  girl.  I  will  see  that 
no  harm  comes  to  you.  Have  any  of  these  fel 
lows  been  annoying  yon?" 

"Yes,"  she  said  "that  fellow  sitting  with  his 
face  this  way,  called  to  me  insultingly  when  he 
first  got  on  the  train.  You  can  see  how  im 
pudently  he  stares  at  me." 

"That  fellow  right  there?"  said  the  conduc 
tor. 

"Yes,"  replied  Lillian. 

The  conductor  went  to  him  and  informed 
him  that  he  would  be  put  off  if  he  said  another 
word  to  the  lady.  He  was  told  to'sit  face  front 
anyway  in  the  car.  The  Negro  readily  obeyed 


144  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

the  conductor  in  his  authorative  tone  and  look, 
and  Lillian  had  no  further  trouble  with  him. 

She  began  after  that  to  think  of  the  sacri 
fice  of  pleasure  and  privelege  that  she  was  mak 
ing  in  the  interest  of  the  family.  This  thought 
alone  consoled  her.  She  was  glad  to  do  so. 
She  would  not  murmur;  she  would  put  up  with 
what  ever  should  come  to  her.  "Maybe  all  the 
people  of  the  South  are  not  like  those 
that  I  have  seen.  There  may  be  some  more 
like  Charles  Christopher,"  she  thought.  "But 
not  just  like  him,"  she  changed,  remembering 
her  affection  for  him.  "I  wonder  what  he  is 
going  to  do.  I  am  satisfied  that  he  knew  me 
when  he  got  off  the  train.  Oh,  I  am  so  sorry 
that  I  was  leaving  just  as  he  arrived.  I  did  not 
even  get  to  speak  to  him.  I  believe  I  will  write 
to  him,"  she  said  to  herself. 

She  was  now  nearing  her  destination.  And 
lo  and  behold  when  she  alighted  from  the  train 
and  saw  the  sights  as  told  above,  the  bad  im 
pression  of  the  South  that  she  had  received 
through  the  restless,  unsettled,  thoughtless,  de 
praved  actions  of  a  certain  floating  element 
passed  swiftly  from  her  mind,  to  be  remember 
ed  against  it  no  more.  And  she  wished  that 
mama  and  papa  and  George  could  she  what  she 


THE  JIM  CROW  CAR  145 

now  so  gloriously  beheld.  "I  know  that  I  shall 
be  happy  if  this  is  to  be  my  environment,"  she 
thought. 

She  was  soon  settled  in  her  new  home 
which  was  with  the  Principal  of  the  school  and 
his  charming  wife.  The  Bishop  had  secured  a 
good  boarding  place  for  her  as  well  as  the  po 
sition  as  teacher. 

Lillian  was  a  successful  teacher  and  it  is 
needless  for  us  to  go  through  the  details  of  re 
lating  her  experiences  as  such.  Suffice  it  to  say 
that  she  won  the  love  and  friendship  of  pupils 
and  parent,  which  is  the  first  and  last  requisite 
of  success  in  a  colored  school.  She  was  always 
busy  in  some  needful  way.  Besides  being  an 
indispensable  worker  in  the  school  room,  she 
was  a  leader  in  the  Literary  Society,  the  church 
and  the  Sunday  School.  Bright,  witty,  jovial 
and  intelligent,  she  made  many  friends.  No  so 
cial  function  was  a  success  without  her  presence. 
It  seemed  that  she  had  found  her  niche,  and 
she  was  now  filling  it  to  perfection. 

She  would  often  receive  letters  from  home, 
and  she  was  so  pleased  to  know  of  the  colored 
grocery  store  that  had  been  established  by 
Charles  Christopher.  And  she  would  often  pic 
ture  herself  at  home  keeping  company  with  the 


146  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

young  proprietor  of   the    new    grocery   store. 


CHAPTER    XVI 


LOVE  LETTERS 

Once  she  received  a  letter  from  her  mother 
stating  that  Mabel  Lester  was  making  eyes  at 
Charles  Christopher,  which  made  poor  Lillian 
very  unhappy  at  the  time. 

"I  am  not  going  to  stand  for  it, "she  pouted. 
"He  is  mine  and  now  I  don't  care  how  it  looks  I 
am  going  to  write  him."  And  she  did.  She 
went  up  town  and  picked  out  a  modest,  yet  ap 
propriate  post  card  and,  sent  it  to  him.  But 
had  it  been  possible,  after  it  was  in  the  mail 
box,  for  her  to  have  taken  it  out,  she  would 
have  done  so.  But  it  was  too  late  now.  It 
went  direct  and  Charles  Chrisiopher  received  it 
the  very  next  morning  after  the  disastrous  fire 
Had  he  not  received  this  card  from  the  beauti 
ful  Lillian  Simmons,  whom  he  loved  so  well, 
dark  indeed  would  have  been  the  days  immedi 
ately  following  the  unfortunate  fire.  This  card 
alone  gave  him  strength  and  courage  to  bear 
147 


148  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

up.    He  was  willing  to  try  to  pull  up  the  rugged 
hill  again  for  her  dear  sake. 

In  return  Charles  immediately  sat  dowm 
and  wrote  Lillian  the  most  beautifully  worded 
letter  she  had  ever  received  in  her  life.  He 
told  her  of  his  great  grief  and  misfortune  and 
of  the  hard  struggle  that  he  had  in  reaching  the 
place  from  which  he  had  so  recently  been  cast 
down.  "But  your  dear  post  card  came  just 
at  the  time  when  I  was  at  my  weakest  and 
needed  something  to  strengthen  me.  You  have 
saved  me,  my  dear  friend,  from  a  horrible  fate. 
I  was  in  great  despair  and  was  at  the  point 
where  I  was  about  to  do  something  desperate," 
said  he  in  his  letter.  "But  your  sweet  missive 
has  brought  sunshine  to  me  again,  and  today  I 
feel  that  after  all  life  is  worth  living.  I  shall 
not  hesitate  to  try  to  climb  back  and  even  past 
the  height  from  which  I  was  so  suddenly  hurled 
a  night  ago.  Your  token  of  respect  and  es 
teem  has  given  me  courage  and  renewed  vigor. 
I  thank  you  from  the  depths  of  my  heart.  Let 
me  hear  from  you  again  soon. 

"Yours  sincerely,  Charles  Christopher." 

Two  days  later,  when  Lillian  went  to  the 
Post  Office  and  received  a  letter  from  her  home, 
written  in  a  strange  hand,  her  heart  beat  faster 


LOVE  LETTERS  149 

and  her  countenance  lit  up  with  expectancy. 
She  could  hardly  take  time  to  open  it.  Yes,  it 
was  from  Charles  Christopher.  "Let's  see  what 
he  says,"  she  said  in  an  undertone.  She  began 
reading  and  was  struck  dumb  when  she  heard 
of  the  great  disaster,  the  hopes  of  Charles 
Christopher  being  crumbled  into  ashes.  She 
read  the  par  t  over  again  and  continuing  to  the 
end,  she  found  this  one  of  the  saddest,  at  the 
same  time  one  of  the  sweetest  letters,  that  she 
had  ever  received.  She  now  felt  glad  that  she 
had  sent  the  card,  that  herself  and  not  Mabel  Les 
ter,  had  the  power  to  cheer  him  and  help  him 
to  bear  up  under  his  great  misfortune.  She 
then  gave  herself  over  to  thoughts  of  true  love 
and  sympathy  for  him  and  even  wished  that  he 
was  near  that  she  might  lay  a  tender  hand  up 
on  his  brow  and  whisper  sweet  consoling  words 
to  him. 

"What  caused  the  fire,"  she  wondered. 
Could  any  one  have  been  so  mean,  so  low,  so 
void  of  principle,  as  to  have  applied  the  torch 
to  his  business  because  it  was  prosperous?  'Tis 
true  that  Charles  Christopher  had  some  bitter 
enemies.  Could  some  of  them  have  been  mean 
enough  to  commit  this  dastardly  act.  No,  her 
brother  would  not  do  a  thing  like  that.  She 


150  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

could  not  for  a  moment  entertain  the  thought 
that  George  would  stoop  so  low. 

She  read  the  letter  over  several  times  that 
night  and  she  could  not  bear  the  idea  of  retiring 
before  answering  it.  It  was  so  sad  and  sweet 
she  felt  that  she  could  not  do  it  justice,  but  at 
any  rate  she  was  going  to  try. 

When  she  had  finished  writing  it  was  more 
than  an  hour  after  her  regular  time  for  retiring. 
But  she  was  satisfied.  She  had  told  him  many 
things  that  she  wished  him  to  know  and  had  all 
but  confessed  her  love  for  him.  She  even  made 
mention  of  Miss  Mabel  Lester  in  a  way  that  in 
dicated  that  she  was  greatly  concerned  and 
told  him  not  to  get  too  deeply  entangled;  that 
she  would  be  home  soon. 

She  concluded  her  letter  with  her  very 
best  wishes  and  a  hope  that  the  culprit,  if  such 
there  was,  who  applied  the  torch  and  caused 
him  so  much  grief  and  so  much  loss,  would 
soon  be  run  to  ground.  With  a  "Sincerely 
yours,  Lillian  Simmons,"  she  closed  her  letter, 
sealed  it  and  laid  it  away  to  be  mailed  the  next 
morning. 

She  retired,  but  could  not  rest.  "That  is  a 
little  too  bold  of  me,"  she  thought.  "I  shall  not 
send  it.  The  idea  of  my  twitting  him  about 


LOVE  LETTERS  151 

Mae  Lester.  Why  he  will  think  lam  silly.  Be 
sides  he  has  no  time  for  foolishness  like  that 
now.  Why  the  man  is  too  grieved  and  worried 
to  think  about  girls.  No  indeed,  I  shall  not  send 
that  letter,  I  will  tear  it  up  in  the  morning  and 
write  one  with  more  sense  and  dignity."  Thus 
musing  she  soon  fell  asleep. 

Being  tired  and  worried  from  the  late  hours 
spent  in  writing  the  night  previous,  Lillian 
slept  later  than  usual  the  next  morning. 

She  finally  arose,  dressed  and  went  into 
breakfast.  Principal  McVain,  who  had  finished 
his  breakfast,  was  just  leaving  the  dining  room. 
He  went  out  into  the  hall  to  get  his  hat  and 
glancing  into  Lillian's  room,  saw  the  letter  there 
ready  to  be  mailed,  and  as  was  his  custom,  he 
went  into  the  room  and  picked  it  up  and  left 
the  house.  He  proceeded  to  the  school  build 
ing,  and  upon  arriving  he  called  one  of  the  boys 
to  him,  and  along  with  some  other  mail  which 
he  had,  sent  Lillian's  letter  to  the  Post  Office. 
And  when  Lillian  realized  what  had  been  done, 
the  unsatisfactory  letter,  the  bold,  silly  letter 
was  away  beyond  recall.  Lillian  cried  but  it 
was  no  use,  the  letter  was  gone. 

Charles  Christopher  received  it  in 
due  time  and  would  have  been  infinitely  happy 


152  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

had  not  the  culprit  who  applied  the  torch  to  his 
prosperous  business  been  discovered  and  prov 
ed  to  be  the  brother  cf  the  beautiful  sympa 
thetic  girl,  who  had  written  this  love-inspired 
epistle.  She  had  hoped  that  the  culprit  would 
soon  be  run  to  earth,  but  little  did  she  think 
that  her  beloved  brother  George  would  be  the 
guilty  one.  But  facts  are  facts,  and  as  objec 
tionable  as  they  may  seem,  we  are  now  con 
fronted  with  them  and  must  deal  with  them 
fairly  and  impartially.  George  Simmons,  upon 
investigation,  was  found  to  have  been  the  one 
who  committed  the  deed. 


CHAPTER  XVII 


GEORGE  SIMMONS'  ARREST 

Charles  Christopher's  Grocery  Store  was 
situated  on  a  corner  and  faced  but  one  way. 
It  was  a  two  story  building  which  was  twenty- 
five  feet  wide  and  extended  back  about  forty 
feet  on  a  lot  which  was  a  hundred  feet  deep. 
On  the  other  end  of  the  lot  was  a  dwelling 
house  which  was  occupied  by  a  white  family. 
This  house  was  removed  from  the  store  build 
ing  not  more  than  twenty-five  or  thirty  feet. 
Beneath  the  store  was  a  cellar,  the  entrance  of 
which  was  but  a  few  feet  to  the  left  of  the 
back  door  of  the  store.  The  lady  who  occu 
pied  the  cottage  back  of  the  store  testified  that 
she  was  at  her  window  at  eleven  thirty  o'clock, 
and  saw  a  man  go  into  the  cellar.  She  paid  no 
special  attention  to  him,  because  she  thought  it 
was  Christopher  himself  going  in  there  for 
some  purpose  or  other.  She  had  often  seen 
him  go  in  the  cellar,  but  never  so  late  as  that. 
She  stated  that  she  was  watching  for  her  hus- 
153 


1 54  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

band  who  usually  arrived  from  work  about  that 
time.  She  finally  saw  the  man  come  out  and 
instead  of  going  into  the  store,  he  hastened 
around  to  the  back  of  her  house.  She  was  not 
sure  whether  he  went  up  the  alley  or  not.  At 
any  rate,  in  about  a  half  hour  it  seemed  to  her 
the  store  was  in  flames. 

The  woman's  husband  testified  that  he 
passed  the  front  door  of  Christopher's  store  at 
eleven  o'clock  and  everything  was  alright.  He 
was  on  his  way  home  from  work,  but  just  as  he 
was  entering  the  door  of  his  home  he  saw  a 
man  coming  out  of  the  cellar  of  the  store.  Up 
on  seeing  him,  the  man  went  back  of  the  house 
and  began  running  up  the  alley.  Not  wishing 
to  create  an  excitement  at  that  hour  of  the 
night,  he  simply  stood  at  the  mouth  of  the  alley 
and  watched  the  man  until  he  emerged  into  the 
street  at  the  other  end. 

Patrolman  McGinty  testified  that  about 
eleven  fifteen  o'clock,  he  was  passing  along 
and  a  man  ran  out  of  the  alley  almost  into  his 
arms.  He  stopped  him  and  asked  him  where 
he  had  been,  at  that  moment  he  recognized  him 
as  George  Simmons.  "Why,  hello!  George  it's 
you  is  it,"  said  I.  "Where  have  you  been,  you 
are  off  your  beat  ar'nt  you?"  He  said  some- 


GEORGE  SIMMONS'  ARREST  155 

thing  about  having  been  to  see  a  friend  and 
was  out  a  little  later  than  usual.  I  said  no  more 
and  he  walked  hurriedly  away. 

"Are  you  sure  that  it  was  George  Simmons?" 
asked  the  chief. 

"Yes,"  replied  McGhinty. 

<lWell  you  had  better  go  and  get  him  and 
bring  him  here,"  said  the  chief.  "He  will  have 
to  give  an  account  of  himself." 

George  was  sitting  at  the  breakfast  table  dis 
cussing  the  fire  with  his  mother,  when  a  knock 
was  heard  at  the  door.  It  was  about  nine  o'clock 
in  the  morning.  It  was  at  this  hour  that  George 
always  got  off  from  work  to  eat  breakfast.  Cap 
tain  Simmons  was  out  at  the  time.  So  Mrs.  Sim 
mons  opened  the  door.  Two  policemen  pushed 
themselves  past  Mrs.  Simmons  into  the  room, 
one  of  them  asking  gruffly  "Is  George  Simmons 
here?" 

''He  is,"  answered  Mrs.  Simmons. 

"Where  is  he?"  We  have  a  writ  for  him." 

"A  writ  for  what?"  cried  Mrs.  Simmons 
"What  has  he  done?" 

"Well  he  is  charged  with  incendiarism.  It  is 
alleged  that  he  set  fire  to  Christopher's  grocery 
store  last  night,  and  we  have  come  to  arrest 
him."  said  one  of  the  officers. 


156  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

Mrs.  Simmons  swooned  but  George  was  at 
her  side  and  caught  her  in  his  arms,  preventing 
her  from  falling  to  the  floor.  "Dash  a  cup  of 
water  in  her  face,"  said  one  of  the  policemen. 
"That  will  bring  her  around  alright." 

George  lay  his  mother  on  the  couch  and  go 
ing  to  the  hydrant  quickly  drew  a  cup  of  water 
and  dipping  his  fingers  in  it,  sprinkled  some  in 
her  face  and  also  bathed  her  temples.  She  soon 
revived,  but  was  too  weak  or  frightened  to  sit 
up  or  to  speak.  It  was  really  pitiful  to  see  the 
poor  woman  so  overcome  with  grief. 

At  this  moment  Captain  Simmons,  who  at  a 
distance  saw  the  policemen  coming  to  his  house, 
entered,  inquiring  what  the  trouble  was. 

The  officers,  knowing  Captain  Simmons  well, 
having  for  a  number  of  years  associated  with 
him  in  the  city  service,  called  him  to  one  side 
and  explained  to  him  in  an  undertone  the  pur 
pose  of  their  visit. 

Captain  Simmons  did  not  believe  that  George 
committed  the  crime,  and  begged  the  men  not 
to  arrest  him.  But  his  pleadings  were  of  no 
avail.  They  told  Captain  Simmons  that  they 
were  compelled  to  do  their  duty. 

They  took  George  before  a  justice  for  a  pre 
liminary  hearing  after  which  he  was  released 


GEORGE  SIMMONS'  ARREST  157 

on  bond,  his  employers  going  his  security 
The  news  that  George  Simmons  had  sat  fire 
to  Charles  Christopher's  store  soon  spread 
throughout  the  city.  The  papers  spoke  of  it  in 
the  most  drastic  terms  and  suggested  that  the 
culprit  suffer  the  severist  punishment  at  the 
hands  of  the  law. 

Frank  Maxwell  went  to  Captain  Simmons  and 
told  him  that  the  case  looked  bad  for  George 
and  thought  that  the  best  thing  he  could  do 
would  be  to  plead  guilty  and  trust  himself  to 
the  mercy  of  the  court.  Captain  Simmons 
would  not  hear  to  this.  He  did  not  believe  his 
son  was  guilty,  and  he  would  spend  every  dol 
lar  he  was  worth  in  the  effort  to  free  him. 

It  is  well  known  to  the  reader  that  Captain 
Simmons  is  already  deeply  in  debt  and  this  re 
cent  trouble  only  makes  matters  a  whole  lot 
worse  than  they  were.  He  not  having  ready 
cash,  places  his  home  under  a  second  heavy 
mortgage.  Mrs.  Simmons  believing  that  some 
hateful  conspiracy  is  being  practiced  against 
her  son  agrees  to  the  transaction  of  her  hus 
band.  She  had  rather  be  a  beggar  in  the  street 
than  have  her  son  behind  prison  bars  when  he 
is  innocent.  She  does  not  wish  to  tell  Lillian 
for  she  knows  that  it  will  break  her  heart.  But 


158  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

after  considering  the  wisdom  of  such  a  step 
she  decides  to  do  so. 

So  that  very  night  she  sat  down  to  break  the 
news  to  her  daughter.  She  wrote  quite  a  lengthy 
letter,  telling  her  about  the  fire,  and  how  cer 
tain  enemies  had  plotted  to  lay  the  charge  at 
her  brother  George's  door.  "The  trial  is  set  a 
month  off  so  I  guess  you  will  be  home  by  that 
time,"  she  added.  "I  would  not  worry  your  mind 
with  it  at  all  dear,  but  you  no  doubt  will  hear 
it  any  way  and  it  is  best  that  it  come  to  you 
straight  and  from  the  pen  of  your  own  mother. 
We  need  have  no  fear  from  him  for  his  em 
ployers  are  backing  him.  They  went  his  bond 
which  was  fixed  at  two  thousand  dollars. 

"Father  has  secured  some  more  money  on  the 
place  and  has  employed  one  of  the  best  lawyers 
in  the  city  who  will  fight  to  the  last  ditch  for  us. 
Frank  Maxwell  advises  George  to  plead  guilty, 
and  perhaps  on  his  record  as  a  good  citizen, 
he  will  get  off  with  a  light  jail  sentence.  But  we 
will  not  hear  to  that.  'Tis  true  that  Maxwell  is 
our  friend  and  a  lawyer,  but  he  does  not  know 
everything." 

Mrs.  Simmons  did  not  tell  Lillian  of  the  dam 
aging  evidence  against  George.  She  placed  as 
hopeful  a  construction  on  the  unfortunate  situa- 


GEORGE  SIMMONS'  ARREST  159 

tion  as  possible.  She  then  concluded  her  let 
ter,  sealed  it  up  and  spent  the  rest  of  the  night 
in  grief  and  tears.  Captain  Simmons'  words 
of  consolation  did  not  do  much  toward  allaying 
her  suffering. 

George,  after  such  a  trying  ordeal  as  he 
had  gone  through,  could  not  look  his  mother 
and  father  in  the  face.  His  guilty  conscience 
was  playing  havoc  with  his  heretofore  bold 
front  and  independent  air.  His  countenance 
was  downcast.  Twas  plain  that  he  felt  keenly 
the  disgrace  that  he  had  brought  to  the  family. 

Charles  Christopher  regretted  very  much 
to  learn  that  it  was  George  Simmons  who  had 
destroyed  his  business.  He  knew  that  George 
was  his  enemy,  but  he  had  really  placed  him 
away  above  such  an  unprincipled  act.  He 
thought  that  he  was  a  man.  Though  they  had 
differed  in  opinions,  Charles  respected  him  and 
admired  him  on  account  of  his  fight  for  a  prin 
ciple.  He  hated  to  see  him  fall  and  grovel,  as 
he  now  was  in  the  dust  with  the  lowest  of  crim 
inals,  a  common  offender  of  the  law. 

Then  too  he  loved  his  beautiful  sister  and 
had  just  began  to  make  headway  along  the 
lives  of  friendship.  He  knew  how  keenly  Lil 
lian  would  feel  the  disgrace,  and  feared  that 


160  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

her  shame  and  chagrin  might  be  so  great  that 
she  would  never  write  him  or  look  him  in  the 
face  again.  What  could  he  do  to  lessen  the 
great  embarrassment  that  he  knew  she  must 
feel.  This  was  one  of  the  uppermost  questions 
in  his  mind.  As  to  the  re-establishment  of  him 
self  in  business,  this  was  practically  settled.  He 
had  sufficient  backing  for  that.  Dover  the  ho 
tel  man,  Willard  the  News  reporter  and  a  num 
ber  of  other  influential  men  in  consultation  had 
agreed  to  assist  him  and  put  him  on  his  feet 
again.  He  was  very  much  elated  over  his  fu 
ture  business  prospects,  but  to  retain  the  place 
that  he  now  holds  or  that  he  once  held  in  Lil 
lians  affections  is  the  thing  that  bothers  him 
most. 

He  resolves  however  to  answer  her  sweet 
letter  avoiding  the  mention  of  the  culprit.  "But 
she  is  certain  to  know  about  it  any  way," 
thought  he.  "Why  not  just  tell  her  the  plain 
truth?  If  she  is  the  sensible  girl  that  I  take  her 
to  be  she  will  think  more  of  me.  She  will  ad 
mire  me  for  being  frank  and  fair.  Then  too  I 
will  be  in  a  better  position  to  sympathize  with 
her  and  perhaps  lend  some  assistance.  She 
will  feel  like  taking  me  into  confidence.  I  think 
I  can  do  a  great  deal  toward  getting  George  out 


GEORGE  SIMMONS'  ARREST  161 

of  this  and  I  am  going  to  write  to  her  and  tell 
her  so." 

So  Charles  sat  down  to  the  task  of  answer 
ing  Lillian's  letter  which  brought  so  much 
cheer  and  happiness,  at  the  same  time  embar 
rassment  to  him  the  early  part  of  the  morning. 
Among  other  things  he  wrote: 

''I  know  George  to  be  my  enemy  and  after 
looking  into  the  matter  I  can  understand  why 
he  resorted  to  such  an  awful  revenge.  At  heart 
I  think  your  brother  a  good  fellow,  but  he 
yielded  to  a  thirst  for  revenge  which  seems  to 
be  a  weakness  with  him,  it  is  in  his  nature;  but 
in  this  case  were  it  to  do  over,  I  am  sure  he 
would  not  attempt  it. 

"I  am  willing  to  use  my  influence  with  my 
friends  to  help  him  out  of  trouble.  And  I  have 
a  two  fold  reason  for  doing  so.  First  I  hate  to 
see  the  best  people  of  our  race  fall  on  account 
of  some  overt  act  or  thoughtless  deed.  Your 
brother  did  not  think  of  the  enormity  of  the 
crime  until  it  was  committed. 

"And  I  am  quite  sure  that  he  has  repented 
by  now. 

"For  this  reason  I  shall  not  appear  against 
him,  nor  would  I  under  similar  conditions  ap 
pear  against  any  member  of  my  race.  I  want 


162  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

at  all  times  to  be  broad  and  considerate  in  the 
treatment  of  others  and  especially  those  of  my 
own  people. 

"And  another  reason  and  perhaps  my  strong 
est  one,  is  that  I  love  and  respect  you  my  dear 
one.  I  would  do  anything  in  my  power  for 
your  happiness.  When  my  heart  was  heavy 
and  my  mind  was  in  the  deepest  distress,  you 
were  so  kind  and  sympathetic  to  me.  So  now 
in  this  trouble  I  want  your  full  confidence.  I 
want  to  befriend  you.  Ask  what  you  will  of  me, 
and  if  it  is  in  my  power  to  grant  it,  it  shall  be 
done." 

He  closed  his  letter  by  thanking  her  for  the 
kind  words  of  consolation  that  she  had  written 
him  and  promised  that  he  would  not  be  en 
tangled  with  Mae  Lester  to  any  great  extent 
when  she  returned.  He  simply  thought  well  of 
Mabel  as  a  friend  and  nothing  more.  That  he 
would  be  only  too  glad  to  be  her  constant  com 
pany  and  escort  on  all  occasions  when  she  re 
turned  if  she  would  permit. 

With  sincere  love  and  respect  he  closed  the 
letter  and  mailed  it  to  Lillian  Simmons. 

The  next  day  he  set  about  the  task  of  rees 
tablishing  his  grocery  business.  He  looked  up 
a  suitable  building,  not  far  from  the  place 


GEORGE  SIMMONS'  ARREST  163 

where  the  old  one  had  stood.  His  white  friend^ 
stood  good  for  him  with  the  wholesale  dealers 
and  thus  he  was  enabled  to  secure  a  stock  that 
was  even  larger,  and  superior  to  the  one  which 
had  been  lost  in  the  fire.  He  also  found  his 
trade  increasing.  The  fire  had  been  a  great 
advertisement  for  him  and  his  business.  His 
old  friends  all  came  back  to  him  and  brought 
others  with  them.  Words  of  sympathy  and  good 
cheer  were  every  where  expressed  to  him.  He 
learned  this  lesson  that  life  is  a  succession  of 
victories  and  defeats,  that  grief  and  despair  are 
transitory  as  are  also  pleasures  and  happiness. 
They  all  come  and  go. 


CHAPTER    XVIII 


MRS.  SIMMONS  VISITS  CHARLES 

He  thought  of  his  weakness  the  night  of  the 
fire  and  felt  ashamed  of  himself  for  his  tears. 

Many  of  his  friends  would  come  in  and  refer 
to  George  Simmons  in  a  way  not  at  all  com 
plimentary,  but  Charles  would  never  discuss 
that  side  of  the  question,  and  the  people  could 
not  guess  the  reason  why. 

"He  will  go  to  the  penitentiary  sure!" 
some  would  say  to  him. 

"0  I  guess  not"  or  "I  hope  not,"  would  be 
his  only  comment. 

Poor  Mrs.  Simmons  was  so  distressed  that 
she  came  to  see  him  one  day,  regarding  the 
coming  trial. 

She  had  been  reading  the  papers  which 
seemed  to  be  so  bitterly  against  George,  and 
this  together  with  the  view  that  Frank  Maxwell 
took  of  the  case  assuming  that  her  son  was 
guilty  really  upset  her.  She  did  not  know  which 
way  to  turn.  And  past  experiences  taught  her 
164 


MRS.  SIMMONS  VISITS  CHARLES        165 

not  to  rely  too  much  upon  the  confidence  and 
security  of  which  Captain  Simmons  was  often 
given  to  boast.  So  not  wishing  to  leave  any 
stone  unturned  in  the  effort  to  free  her  son, 
she  hit  upon  the  plan  to  go  and  talk  to  Charles 
Christopher.  She  did  not  know  what  good 
might  come  of  it. 

One  afternoon  when  there  was  a  lull  in  his 
business,  Charles  Christopher  was  greatly  sur 
prised  to  see  Mrs.  Simmons  entering  his  place. 

She  spoke  pleasantly  to  him  and  introduced 
herself  as  Mrs.  Simmons,  the  mother  of  George 
Simmons  whom  she  was  quite  sure  that  he 
knew. 

''I  wish  to  talk  to  you  on  some  business," 
she  said,  after  the  usual  preliminaries  about  the 
weather,  the  times  and  things  in  general, 

"You  have  no  private  apartments  have  you 
Mr.  Christopher?"  she  asked. 

"No,"  returned  Charles.  "Just  have  a  seat 
back  here  at  my  writing  desk,"  said  he. 

Charles  Christopher  readily  guessed  from 
her  last  question  that  she  did  not  wish  to  be 
observed  in  a  conversation  with  him.  So  in 
this  way  with  her  face  behind  the  high  desk 
she  was  entirely  hid  from  the  passersby  or 
those  who  might  enter  for  the  purpose  of  trading. 


166  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

She  thanked  him  for  his  consideration  and 
made  a  mental  note  of  his  gentility. 

Then  she  began  to  disclose  her  reason  for 
coming  to  him* 

She  began,  "Mr.  Christopher,  my  boy  is  in 
nocent  of  the  crime  with  which  he  is  charged." 
This  being  her  opening  attact,  she  looked 
Charles  squarely  in  the  eye  to  see  how  her 
words  would  affect  him.  "And  he  is  being 
wrongfully  held,"  she  proceeded.  "Tis  true 
that  he  is  not  in  a  physical  prison,  but  he  is  in 
a  mental  one,  and  will  continue  to  be  until  his 
innocence  is  proven.  Circumstantial  evidence 
is  against  him,  and  public  sentiment  seems  to 
be  against  him,  but  with  all  that  Mr.  Christo 
pher,  my  boy  is  innocent.  He  would  not  stoop 
to  such  a  low  trick  as  that.  Do  you  think  he 
would?"  Putting  the  question  direct  she 
watched  Charles  narrowly  and  waited  for  him 
to  reply.  Charles  not  wishing  to  hurt  her  feel 
ings  or  to  shake  the  confidence  which  she  had 
in  her  son,  attempted  an  evasive  answer,  but 
with  little  success.  Not  being  given  to  lies  and 
deceit,  he  said:  "Well  Mrs.  Simmons,  guilty  or 
not  guilty,  I  have  nothing  to  do  with  it.  The 
matter  is  beyond  my  control.  And  you  cannot 
blame  me  for  any  thing  that  might  happen  to 


MRS.  SIMMONS  VISITS  CHARLES       167 

George."  I  have  never  accused  him.  Tis  true 
that  we  have  had  our  differences,  but  at  the 
same  time,  I  have  always  respected  him  and 
thought  well  of  him.  I  am  very  sorry  that  this 
thing  happened,  and  unfortunately  for  him  and 
the  rest  of  your  family  he  has  been  charged." 

''But  you  have  not  answered  my  question 
Mr.  Christopher.  Do  you  think  he  committed 
the  deed?"  she  asked  again. 

"Well,"  returned  Charles,  attempting  to 
console  and  at  the  same  time  to  be  frank  and 
truthful,  "I  think  he  may  expect  justice  at  the 
hands  of  the  court.  It  really  is  not  for  me  to 
say  whether  he  is  innocent  or  guilty." 

"But  you  can  say  whether  you  think  him 
guilty  or  not,"  said  Mrs.  Simmons  insistingly. 

"Well  Mrs.  Simmons  to  be  frank  with  you, 
I  am  afraid  that  George  is  guilty.  I  think  he  is 
a  fine  fellow,  but  he  is  a  person  who  does  not 
want  to  be  overcome.  He  is  always  seeking 
revenge,  and  this  revengeful  spirit  which  is  the 
weakest  link  in  the  chain,  has  been  his  undoing. 
I  really  think  that  he  yielded  to  a  thirst  for  re 
venge,  and  thinking  that  the  deed  could  be 
concealed  set  fire  to  the  building  in  which  my 
goods  and  future  prospects  lay.  I,  his  enemy 
as  he  thought,  was  prospering  and  he  could 


168  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

not  bear  the  idea  of  my  outstripping  him  in  the 
race  of  life.  So  to  impede  my  progress  he  hits 
upon  this  unbecoming  method  of  doing  so.  But 
I  am  quite  sure  that  he  has  repented  and  were 
it  to  do  over  again  he  would  not  attempt  it. 
But  as  I  say  it  is  beyond  my  control.  But  if 
there  is  anything  that  I  can  do  to  help  him  or 
you  or  any  member  of  your  family  Mrs.  Sim 
mons  all  you  have  to  do  is,  ask  it,  and  you  may 
rest  assured  that  if  it  is  possible  for  me  to  do  it 
I  will." 

Mrs.  Simmons  looked  at  him  curiously  and 
finally  remarked,  "Well  every  one  seems  to  be 
against  my  boy.  I  am  sorry  indeed  that  you 
think  him  guilty.  If  you  really  think  him  so, 
then  there  is  nothing  that  I  can  ask  of  you.  The 
trial  will  come  up  soon  now  and  I  am  afraid 
they  may  fasten  the  crime  on  him.  If  they  do, 
it  will  kill  me.  I  can  not  bear  the  thoughts  of 
my  son  going  to  prison." 

"Cheer  up  Mrs.  Simmons.  George  has  al 
ways  carried  himself  properly.  He  has  a  good 
record  and  I  am  quite  sure  that  the  court  will 
deal  with  him  fairly  and  leniently  if  found 
guilty.  This  one  overt  act  is  pardonable.  He 
is  only  human.  No  doubt  he  was  provoked  to 
such  a  deed.  No  one  knows  the  intensity  of  his 


MRS.  SIMMONS  VISITS  CHARLES        169 

feeling  at  that  time.  Under  passion  we  so  often 
do  and  say  things  that  we  afterward  regret. 
And  if  George  is  guilty,  I  know  that  he  has  re 
pented  a  hundred  times.  So  be  big,  broad  and 
brave  Mrs.  Simmons  and  remember  that 
George  is  young  and  without  experience,  that 
much  older  and  matured  persons  have  done 
rash,  reckless  and  even  malicious  deeds  and 
have  been  excused  for  them.  I  hold  nothing 
against  George.  I  have  made  excuses  for  him, 
and  can  overlook  the  injury  that  he  has  done 
me.  I  only  wish  it  were  in  my  power  to  have 
the  charge  withdrawn." 

"You  are  right  Mr.  Christopher.  While  I 
believe  my  boy  innocent,  I  myself  have  twitted 
him  about  your  success  in  business  and  the 
humble  position  which  he  holds  as  a  porter. 
I  did  it  for  the  purpose  of  spurring  him  on  to 
better  things.  I  should  so  much  like  to  see  him 
in  business  for  himself  as  you  are.  His  educa 
tion  is  of  no  benefit  to  him  where  he  is  and 
he  seems  to  have  lost  his  ambition  and  is  will 
ing  to  drudge  the  rest  of  his  days.  So  I  have 
been  after  him  about  being  so  unconcerned 
about  the  future  and  I  referred  to  you  as  an  ex 
ample.  He  did  not  like  it  very  much.  But  I 
wanted  to  arouse  him  and  make  him  ashamed 


170  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

of  himself.  So  perhaps  he  has  had  enough  to 
provoke  him;  perhaps  my  talk  did  wound  his 
pride,  but  I  am  sure  he  did  not  resort  to  such  a 
foul  method  of  revenge.  You  could  not  help  it. 
And  George  being  a  sensible  boy  would  not 
blame  you,  to  such  an  extreme  extent  at  least. 
I  want  to  free  him  because  I  believe  him  inno 
cent,  but  I  scarcely  know  what  steps  to  take. 
I  thank  you  very  much  for  your  sensible,  at  the 
same  time,  consoling  words.  I  do  believe  that 
you  are  willing  to  lend  your  aid,  but  at  present 
know  of  nothing  that  I  could  ask  of  you. 

"Well  I  must  be  going  now.  I  thought  I 
would  come  in  and  see  you  and  get  your  opin 
ion.  I  thank  you  very  much  for  your  offer  of 
assistance.  I  like  you  now,  since  I  have  x  met 
you  and  know  you  better.  I  may  come  to  see 
you  again  ere  long.  Good-day." 

"Good-day  Mrs.  Simmons,"  said  Charles,  "I 
shall  be  glad  to  see  you  at  any  time." 

Mrs.  Simmons  departed  with  a  peculiar, 
but  not  unpleasant  feeling.  She  thought  of  the 
wisdom  with  which  Charles  Christopher  spoke 
and  of  his  true  delineation  of  character  and  of 
his  interpretation  of  certain  unseemly  acts.  He 
seemed  to  be  an  adebt  at  reading  human  na 
ture.  And  when  she  began  to  think  about  it, 


MRS.  SIMMONS  VISITS  CHARLES       171 

perhaps  he  was  right  in  regard  to  George's 
motive  for  burning  his  store. 

Then  the  thought  began  to  rise  within  her, 
that  perhaps  George  was  guilty  of  the  crime, 
but  she  quickly  dismissed  it  from  her  mind. 
She  would  not  or  could  not  realize  the  possi 
bility  of  such  a  thing.  Her  son  was  too  well 
bred  for  such  as  that.  "Low  ideas  and  low 
minds  do  not  run  in  the  Simmons  blood,"  she 
said  consolingly  to  herself.  "No,  no,  no,  she 
thought,  George  is  innocent  and  we  must  free 
him,  we  must  not  allow  the  poor  boy  to  suffer 
untold  agony  on  account  of  falsehoods  and  on 
account  of  conspiring  unscrupulous  enemies. 

"But  I  do  have  more  faith  in  Charles 
Christopher  now.  I  do  not  believe  that  he  has 
anything  to  do  with  the  plot  to  ruin  George. 
Naturally  though  he  would  believe  George 
guilty  because  George  has  shown  himself  to  be 
such  an  enemy.  I  always  told  George  to  con 
trol  himself.  One  never  knows  from  what 
source  he  may  want  and  need  assistance.  I  un 
derstand  that  this  fellow  Christopher  has 
strong  influential  friends  among  the  people  of 
the  other  race.  He  is  really  in  a  position  to 
befriend  us  or  to  do  us  great  harm.  I  scarcely 
think  though  that  he  would  do  us  an  injury.  I 


172  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

believe  he  means  to  help  us  if  he  can.    I  think 
I  shall  cultivate  his  friendship." 

These  and  other  thoughts  passed  through 
the  mind  of  Mrs.  Simmons  rapidly  as  she 
trudged  homeward. 


CHAPTER    XIX 


A  GRAVE  SITUATION 

The  day  of  the  trial  was  fast  approaching 
and  every  one  was  looking  forward  to  it.  Many 
were  the  opinions  expressed  regarding  the 
chances  that  George  would  have  to  escape 
punishment.  Frank  Maxwell  still  insisted  that 
the  best  thing  to  do  was  for  George  to  plead 
guilty  and  ask  clemency.  He  had  felt  the  pulse 
of  those  in  authority  and  had  learned  that  it  wa  s 
their  intention  to  inflict  the  extreme  penalty  of 
the  law  for  the  offense  which  George  had  com 
mitted. 

He  told  Captain  Simmons  that  he  knew 
something  about  the  law  regarding  such  of 
fenses,  and  being  a  friend  of  the  family  he  was 
giving  to  him  free  of  charge  the  benefit  of  his 
best  advice  based  upon  experience  and  prac 
tice  in  former  courts.  That  if  they  went  to 
trial  with  the  case  they  were  certain  to  get  the 
worst  of  it.  That  George  would  be  sure  to  go 
to  prison  for  not  less  than  five  years. 
173 


174  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

This  assertion  made  by  Maxwell  made  Cap 
tain  Simmons  very  uneasy  and  as  the  time 
drew  nearer  and  nearer  his  nervousness  be 
came  more  and  more  preceptible.  He  was 
rather  obstinate  though  and  would  not  back 
down  from  his  determination  to  fight  it  out  to 
the  end. 

That  night  at  the  supper  table  when  all 
three  of  the  family  were  seated,  Captain  Sim 
mons  said  to  George.  "Tell  me  the  truth  sonr 
you  did  not  set  fire  to  Christopher's  store  did 
you?" 

"No  father  I  did  not'"  said  George. 

"Well  son  I  am  afraid  it's  going  pretty  hard 
with  you.  Frank  Maxwell  says  that  he  has 
talked  with  the  authorities  and  that  if  they 
find  you  guilty,  they  will  send  you  to  the  prison 
for  not  less  than  five  years.  He  thinks  that  the 
best  thing  you  can  do  is  to  plead  guilty,  and 
beg  for  mercy  at  the  hands  of  the  court. 

"If  you  were  guilty  I  guess  that  would  be 
the  proper  thing  to  do,  but  since  you  are  not 
guilty,  we  will  fight  to  the  bitter  end.  It  may 
break  us  up,  but  I  will  gladly  give  up  every 
thing  I  have  to  save  you  from  prison  if  you  are 
innocent." 

George  did  not  say   very  much.    He    sat 


A  GRAVE  SITUATION  175 

trembling.  He  was  afraid  to  attempt  a  reply 
less  his  speech  should  betray  him. 

His  mother  watched  him  closely  and  tried 
to  note  a  change  in  his  countenance  or  the 
least  sign  of  guilt  in  his  manner. 

But  George  managed  through  great  effort 
to  control  himself. 

The  thought  of  his  father  sacrificing  the 
home  and  every  thing  for  him  and  he  guilty, 
was  killing  him. 

He  would  give  anything  to  get  out  of  the 
scrutinizing  gaze  of  his  parents  at  that  moment. 

His  mother,  continuing  to  watch  him,  fi 
nally  said.  "George  I  can  not  believe  that  you 
are  guilty  of  the  crime.  It  would  break  my 
heart  to  know  that  you  were.  I  doubt  if  I 
could  survive  the  shock.  But  if  you  are,  as 
Frank  Maxwell  says,  it  will  be  a  whole  lot  bet 
ter  for  you  to  acknowledge  it.  Your  good 
record  as  a  cttizen  and  your  father's  influence 
will  be  in  your  favor.  The  court  will  be  in 
clined  to  be  lenient  with  you.  If  sentenced  you 
will  have  a  chance  to  have  it  stayed  or  revoked. 

"Besides  if  you  are  guilty  my  son,  your 
father  and  mother  are  the  ones  to  know  it.  So 
if  through  weakness  or  through  a  thirst  for 
revenge,  a  desire  to  play  even  you  thoughtless- 


176  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

ly  did  the  deed  tell  us  now,  George  so  we  can 
do  the  best  we  for  you." 

"I  did  not  do  it  mother.  I  am  sorry  that 
you  doubt  me.  The  strain  is  killing  me,  I  do 
wish  it  were  all  over,"  said  George  sorrowfully 

"Well,  right  or  wrong  George,  I  am  going 
to  stand  by  you,"  said  his  father.  So  if  you  are 
wrong  you  need  not  fear  to  tell  me." 

•'Well  I  never  did  it,"  was  George's  last 
reply. 

After  supper  was  over  and  George  had 
gone,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Simmons  discussed  the 
gravity  of  the  situation.  They  concluded  that 
since  George  stood  out  so  stoutly  that  he  was 
innocent,  that  they  would  stay  with  him  to  the 
end,  even  if  it  should  take  the  clothes  from  off 
their  backs. 


CHAPTER  XX 


LILLIAN'S  DISTRESS 

Lillian  received  the  letter  from  her  moth 
er  and  Charles  Christopher  the  same  day. 

She  had  a  real  hard  day  in  connection 
with  her  school  work.  The  closing  season  was 
on  and  she  had  been  quite  busy  training  the 
pupils  under  her  supervision.  She  was  real 
tired  that  afternoon  when  she  reached  home 
and  found  the  two  letters  awaiting  her. 

She  was  always  anxious  to  get  mail  from 
home,  so  now  she  was  eager  to  read  what  they 
contained. 

She  hastily  tore  open  the  one  from  her 
mother  and  read  it  first.  She  was  shocked  at 
the  news  of  George's  arrest  and  accusation. 

What  could  it  mean?  Someone  trying  to 
disgrace  her  brother!  She  became  very  indig 
nant,  and  felt  like  quitting  her  work  and  taking 
a  trip  home  to  see  about  it  at  once.  After 
reading  it  she  laid  it  aside  and  took  the  one 
from  Charles  Christopher  and  began  reading  it 
177 


178  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

When  she  came  to  the  part  assuming 
George's  guilt,  her  heart,  it  seemed,  leaped  in 
to  her  mouth  and  a  choking  sensation  seized 
her  and  overwhelmed  her.  She  was  dazed. 
She  staggered  from  the  piano  against  which 
she  was  leaning  and  fell  across  her  bed  and  for 
a  long  time  she  lay  in  a  sort  of  silly  hysterical 
stupor.  Try  as  she  may  she  could  not  collect 
herself.  Everything  was  so  foolishly  blank  to 
her. 

She  was  finally  called  to  supper  but  she  an 
swered  that  she  did  not  care  for  anything  to 
eat. 

It  not  being  her  custom  to  remain  in  her 
room  long  after  returning  from  school,  Mrs. 
Me  Vain  became  alarmed  about  her  and  went  to 
the  room  to  see  if  she  were  ill. 

"No  I  am  not  ill,"  said  Lillian  in  answer  to 
her  question,  "I  just  don't  care  for  supper/, 

"Did  you  get  your  letters?"  asked  Mrs. 
Mc.Vain.  "Two  came  for  you." 

"Yes  I  received  them,"  answered  Lillian. 
"They  contained  news  that  was  not  very  pleas 
ant.  That  is  what's  the  matter  with  me  Mrs. 
Me  Vain.  I  may  tell  you  about  it  later.  I  am 
trying  to  collect  myself  now." 

Lillian  lay  thus  till  late  at  night  when  she 


LILLIAN'S  DISTRESS  179 

fell  into  a  deep  sleep.  The  rest  and  the  slumber 
had  its  effect.  It  aroused  her  to  complete  con 
sciousness. 

She  began  to  think  of  the  letters  and  the 
unpleasant,  as  well  as  the  unfortunate  news 
that  they  contained.  It  looked  reasonable  to 
her  that  George  might  have  committed  the 
deed.  Charles  Christopher's  letter  was  so  ex 
plicit,  so  frank  that  she  scarcely  had  room  to 
doubt  the  truth  of  its  contents. 

She  realized  that  »the  love  of  her  mother 
would  cause  her  to  make  things  as  bright  as 
possible  for  George. 

Naturally  her  letter  contained  just  what  it 
did,  an  injured  tone,  a  suspicion  that  someone 
was  trying  to  do  the  family  an  injury,  on  ac 
count  of  envy  and  jealously. 

In  other  words  her  mother's  letter  was 
true  to  human  nature,  and  to  a  mother  or  near 
relative  or  friend. 

She  also  analized  Charles  Christopher's 
letter.  She  noted  its  friendly  attitude.  Although 
it  accused  her  brother,  it  also  contained  a  tone 
of  sympathy  and  good  will. 

She  would  have  appreciated  the  way  in 
which  he  referred  to  Mae  Lester  under  any 
other  conditions  but  at  this  time  she  was  too 


180  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

grieved  or  too  interested  in  the  business  of  her 
brother's  trial  to  fully  appreciate  the  tenderness 
of  the  letter  or  of  the  tendency  toward  love. 
The  part  that  suited  her  most  was  where  he  of 
fered  to  aid  her  in  trouble.  This  part  of  the 
letter  greatly  impressed  her,  though  she  decid 
ed  not  to  reply.  One  reason  was  that  her 
school  work  would  soon  be  over  and  she 
would  return  home  and  if  she  saw  fit  she  could 
then  have  a  heart  to  heart  talk  with  him  and 
make  explanations. 

Besides  she  was  not  quite  sure  whether 
she  wanted  to  cultivate  Charles  Christopher's 
friendship  further,  since  her  family  had  been 
disgraced  by  the  low  act  of  her  brother.  For 
she  was  almost  convinced  that  he  committed 
the  deed,  but  before  making  up  her  mind  to 
that  effect  she  would  have  to  see  him  face  to 
face  and  hear  his  side  of  the  story.  She  would 
suspend  judgement  until  then.  If  George  were 
innocent  she  might  continue  with  Charles 
Christopher,  but  if  guilty  she  did  not  know 
about  it.  She  felt  that  the  embarrassment 
would  be  more  than  she  could  stand. 

The  next  morning  Lillian  arose,  ate  break 
fast  and  made  preparations  for  school.  She 
hastily  wrote  a  letter  home  to  her  mother.  She 


LILLIAN'S  DISTRESS  181 

did  not  tell  how  shocked  she  was  to  receive 
the  missive  containing  the  ill  news,  but  instead 
she  tried  to  cheer  her  mother. 

"My  school  will  soon  close  mother,  then  I 
will  be  home  and  help  to  secure  brother's  re 
lease,"  she  said.  "We  can  take  the  money  with 
which  we  intended  to  pay  off  the  mortgage  and 
fight  the  case.  I  am  very  anxious  to  see  you 
all.  And  I  have  much  to  tell  you  of  this  beau 
tiful  Southland.  Look  for  me  next  week. 

"Your  affectionate  daughter, 

"Lillian.1' 

Thus  she  concluded  her  letter  and  handed 
it  to  an  urchin  to  mail.  She  then  went  with  a 
mind  that  was  comparatively  calm,  to  her  work. 
She  was  resigned  and  willing  to  accept  what 
ever  might  come.  Her  greatest  desire  was  to 
finish  her  term  work  and  get  home  as  quickly 
as  possible.  She  knew  that  her  father  and 
mother  must  be  greatly  distressed  and  she  was 
anxious  to  share  with  them  in  their  troubles. 

The  few  days  remaining  for  her  work 
quickly  passed  and  Lillian  found  herself  at  the 
station  among  many  admiring  friends  and 
school  children,  waiting  for  the  arrival  of  the 
train  which  was  to  bear  her  away  toward  her 
northern  home. 


182  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

When  the  train  arrived  she  bade  them  all 
adieu,  and  with  a  promise  to  return  again 
another  year,  she  boarded  it,  found  a  comfort 
able  seat,  and  with  a  sigh  of  relief  sat  down. 

She  was  the  only  passenger  at  that  time  in 
the  separate  coach,  and  it  was  such  a  relief  for 
her  to  be  alone.  Resting  her  head  on  the  back 
of  her  seat  she  sat  for  a  long  time  and  felt 
comfortable. 

On  her  journey  she  encountered  or  wit 
nessed  only  one  case  of  real  roughness. 

At  a  certain  stop,  Lillian  did  not  notice  the 
name  of  the  place,  two  or  three  drunken  roughs 
got  on  the  train.  They  did  not  say  anything 
to  Lillian  but  they  were  loud  and  boisterous, 
and  seemed  to  be  trying  to  show  themselves. 

One  of  them  dropped  a  bottle  of  whiskey 
on  the  floor  which  broke,  spilling  its  contents, 
which  ran  in  all  directions. 

They  laughed  and  yelled  to  the  top  of  their 
voices. 

Poor  Lillian  was  frightened  out  of  her 
wits. 

One  of  them  gave  a  yell  sharp  and  piercing 
as  a  Commanche  Indian.  He  followed  it  up 
with  the  expression  "come  and  git  me  white 
folks,  I'm  drunk  and  cutting  up." 


LILLIAN'S  DISTRESS  183 

He  staggered  and  fell  about  in  the  car  un 
til  the  conductor  came  in  and  threatened  to  put 
him  off.    The  threat  had  its  effect,  for  all  three 
were  quieter.    They  got  off  soon  and  left  Lil 
lian  to  herself  once  more.    After  midnight  the 
porter  came  to  her  and  informed  her  that  she 
could  go  in  the  chair  car  now  if  she  liked,  that 
they  had  crossed  the  line   and  the  "Jim  Crow'* 
car  law  no  longer  obtained. 

She  thanked  him  and  he  took  her  baggage 
and  led  the  way  to  the  beautiful  chair  car  in 
which  were  a  number  of  white  passengers. 

She  noted  the  contrast  and  thanked  Heav 
en  that  she  lived  in  a  country  where  such  was 
not  the  case  and  where  such  was  not  necessary. 


CHAPTER  XXI 


LILLIAN  AT  HOME 

Lillian  was  soon  seated  and  remained  com 
fortable  to  the  end  of  her  journey. 

Her  mother  and  father  were  waiting  at  the 
station  when  she  alighted  from  the  train.  Plac 
ing  her  in  the  family  carriage,  she  was  soon  at 
home  once  more  ascending  the  steps  to  the 
broad  veranda. 

It  is  useless  to  speak  of  the  happiness  and 
sunshine  that  she  brought  with  her.  We  all 
know  her  and  love  her  especially  for  her  cheer 
ful  disposition,  her  readiness  to  speak  words 
of  consolation  to  her  troubled  parents,  and  her 
philosophical  way  of  looking  at  things. 

She  would  not  discuss  that  part  of  the 
trouble  that  pertained  to  George's  innocence  or 
guilt.  Though  like  her  father  she  was  willing 
to  stick  by  him  to  the  end.  Yes  she  would 
gladly  give  up  every  dollar  that  she  had  earned 
and  saved  from  her  work  in  the  South,  in  his 
behalf.  With  tears  in  her  eyes  she  told  him  so. 
184 


LILLIAN  AT  HOME  185 

George  listened  to  her  and  seemed  so  hurt. 
He  was  as  humble  as  a  child.  She  could  not 
turn  for  him.  He  was  so  uneasy  and  seemed 
to  find  consolation  only  in  her  presence.  When 
he  was  not  at  work  he  was  at  home  following 
her  from  room  to  room.  He  would  plead  with 
her  not  to  worry  herself  about  him.  'Til  come 
out  alright'"  he  would  say. 

But  Lillian  was  not  so  confident.  She  could 
not  help  worrying,  though  she  had  the  good 
sense  and  enough  control  to  hide  her  nervous 
feelings. 

She  talked  mostly  of  the  Southland  and 
told  of  the  great  possibilities  that  it  held  for  the 
colored  race. 

Her  mother  was  greatly  surprised  at  some 
of  the  things  that  Lillian  told  her.  A  town  con 
trolled  by  colored  people  was  far  beyond  her 
ken,  and  when  Lillian  Simmons  gave  such  a 
glowing  account  of  the  growth,  the  prosperity, 
and  the  magnificence  of  the  place  whence  she 
had  so  recently  returned,  her  mother  thought 
that  she  was  exaggerating.  She  could  not  com 
prehend  the  truth  of  her  statements. 

Captain  Simmons  was  too  busy  thinking 
about  and  planning  for  the  coming  trial,  to  lis- 


186  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

ten  to  her  never-ending  chatter  about  the  sun 
ny  Southland. 

"Wait  daughter,"  he  would  say,  4 'until 
this  trouble  is  over,  and  then  we  will  discuss 
the  people  of  the  South. 

"The  trial  comes  up  Thursday  I  am  told, 
and  until  then  we  will  be  very  busy. 

"We  hope  George  will  come  out  alright, 
but  you  can  never  be  too  sure. 

"These  lawyers  are  mighty  sharp  these 
days. 

"I  need  about  two  hundred  dollars  more 
money,  have  you  that  much  to  spare  my  dear?'* 

He  asked  the  question  in  despondent  tones 
which  bespoke  mv.eh  doubt. 

"Yes  papa,"  replied  Lillian,  "I  have  four 
hundred  dollars.  And  you  may  have  it  all  if 
you  need  it." 

"Well  daughter  I  don't  want  to  break  you. 
Let  me  have  three  hundred  dollars  and  when 
we  get  kind  a  straight,  I  will  pay  you  back  or 
see  that  George  does. " 

"Papa  that  will  be  alright  if  you  never  pay 
it  back.  I  owe  you  that  and  a  whole  lot  more 
that  I  can  never  be  able  to  pay.  You  have 
done  so  much  for  me  and  it  makes  me  so  hap 
py  to  know  that  I  can  do  this  much  for  you. 


LILLIAN  AT  HOME  187 

Papa  you  seem  to  be  so  worried,  cheer  up.  I 
don't  have  the  least  doubt  but  what  George 
will  get  out  of  this  trouble.  You  will  worry 
yourself  sick  at  this  rate. 

"Come,  brace  up  for  my  sake.  Wait  a 
moment  and  I  will  get  the  money  for  you." 

Lillian  soon  returned  with  the  money  for 
her  father  for  which  he  thanked  her  and  pro 
ceeded  on  his  way  to  the  city. 

He  paid  his  lawyers  what  he  had  to  spare, 
and  then  went  to  see  some  of  his  friends  re 
gard  ing  the  trial  which  was  to  come  up  in  a 
day  or  two. 

They  did  not  give  him  much  satisfaction, 
but  they  told  him  that  they  would  do  the  best 
they  could  for  him. 

"You  see  Simmons,"  one  of  them  said,  "the 
charge  is  a  grave  one  and  the  evidence  is  so 
overwhelmingly  against  him,  that  it  is  going  to 
be  difficult  to  clear  him.  But  you  have  a  good 
lawyer  and  I  feel  quite  sure  that  if  anything 
can  be  done  he  will  do  it." 


CHAPTER  XXII 


THE  TRIAL 

The  day  of  the  trial  had  at  last  come.  It 
was  set  for  nine  o'clock.  Everything  was  astir 
in  the  Simmons  home.  The  atmosphere  was 
not  one  of  sorrow  or  grief,  but  was  business 
like  and  comparatively  cheerful. 

At  the  breakfast  table  they  chatted  pleas 
antly  about  the  weather  and  other  things  of  a 
local  nature,  never  alluding  to  the  trial. 

George  himself  seemed  in  good  spirits  and 
joked  his  sister  about  Charles  Christopher.  For 
by  some  indiscreet  utterance  on  her  part  she  to 
a  certain  extent  had  betrayed  her  admiration 
for  him. 

At  his  sally  she  made  no  denial,  but  blush 
ing,  laughed  good-naturedly.  Girl  like  she  did 
not  mind  being  teased  about  the  one  that  she 
admired. 

Her  mother  never  told  her  of  the  visit  to 
Charles  Christopher's  store  or  the  conversation 
that  she  had  with  him,  but  she  did  tell  her  that 
188 


THE  TRIAL  189 

she  had  seen  him  and  had  spoken  to  him  and 
liked  his  manner  and  appearance  very  much. 

She  said  she  did  not  much  blame  Mae  Les 
ter  for  trying  to  attract  his  attention;  that  she 
thought  the  two  would  make  a  splendid  match. 

Lillian  listened  to  her  mother  very  closely 
and  was  not  at  all  pleased  with  her  view  of 
what  she  called  a  splendid  match. 

"Just  wait  until  this  trial  is  over"  she 
thought.  "I'll  show  Mabel  Lester  and  mother 
too,  what  is  really  a  fine  match.  They  do  not 
know  that  I  have  some  "say  so"  about  it. 

After  finishing  breakfast,  George  and  his 
father  departed  for  the  scene  of  the  trial.  And 
Lillian  and  her  mother  followed  later.  When 
they  arrived  the  court  house  was  packed  to  its 
utmost  capacity.  The  janitor  or  usher  had  to 
go  out  and  find  chairs  for  them  so  that  they 
might  be  seated. 

The  lawyers,  principals  and  witnesses  were 
in  their  appointed  places. 

On  account  of  the  heinousness  of  the  crime; 
the  airing  that  the  papers  had  given  it,  and  the 
popularity  of  the  perpetrator,  the  trial  attracted 
more  than  ordinary  attention. 

Hence  white  and  colored  alike  were  inter 
ested  in  the  outcome.  And  Lillian  and  he 


190  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

mother  had  to  wend  their  way  through  a  vast 
gaping,  vulgar  crowd,  which  was  scenting 
scandal  and  gossip. 

The  hour  of  nine  arrived  and  the  Judge 
called  the  court  to  order. 

A  jury  was  empaneled,  the  charges  against 
George  Simmons  were  read  by  the  clerk,  and 
other  things  necessary  to  procedure  were  over. 

Silence  reigned  for  a  moment,  all  were  ex 
pectant;  when  the  attorney  for  the  state  arose 
and  began  the  examination  of  witnesses. 

"Judge  your  honor  may  I  say  a  word/' 

All  looked  in  the  direction  of  the  speaker. 

It  was  George  Simmons  who  had  thus  ad 
dressed  the  court. 

"What  is  it  that  you  wish  to  say?"  inquired 
the  Judge. 

"I  am  not  familiar  with  the  methods  of  pro 
cedure  in  court  and  I  beg  pardon  if  I  am  vio 
lating  rules  or  in  any  way  interrupting  the 
business  in  hand,  but  I  desire  to  make  a  state 
ment." 

"You  may  proceed  sir,"  said  the  Judge. 

Captain  Simmons  moved  uneasily  and  Mrs. 
Simmons  looked  aghast.  While  Lillian  leaned 
forward  with  increased  interest. 

George's  voice  rang  out  clearly  and    dis- 


THE  TRIAL  191 

tinctly.  It  was  accompanied  however  by  a 
slight  tremor  or  quaver,  caused  mostly  by  his 
earnestness  of  purpose  and  partly  by  his  being 
unaccustomed  to  speak  in  public. 

He  began,  "Judge  your  honor  I  deem  it 
unfair  and  unnecessary  to  put  this  court  to 
further  trouble  or  to  further  expense.  I  am 
guilty  of  the  crime  for  which  I  am  charged." 

This  sudden  confession  took  the  Judge, 
the  jury,  and  all  participants  off  their  feet.  The 
whole  house  was  greatly  surprised  and  strained 
every  nerve  to  catch  what  was  being  said. 

George  had  a  natural  gift  for  oratory  and 
his  first  utterance  seemed  to  electrify  him.  His 
keen  eyes  flashed  fire,  and  his  countenance  lit 
up  and  fairly  beamed  with  emotion.  The  spir 
itual  man  was  plainly  in  the  ascendency. 

And  George  Simmons  for  a  few  moments 
held  Judge,  jury  and  audience  as  it  were  in  a 
spell. 

"I  am  indeed  sorry  that  I  have  for  so  long 
kept  my  father,  mother,  sister  and  friends  de 
ceived.  Here  they  are  sitting  at  my  back  ready 
to  sacrifice  every  thing  in  my  behalf  because 
they  believe  in  me,  because  they  think  me  in 
nocent. 

"But  my  conscience  will  not  allow    me    to 


192  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

deceive  them  longer.  I  committed  the  atro 
cious  deed,  because  I  hated  Charles  Christopher 
and  did  not  want  to  see  him  prosper.  In  an 
hour  of  weakness,  provoked  by  the  chiding 
which  my  mother  had  given  me  on  account  of 
my  lack  of  enterprise,  my  neglect  of  opportuni 
ty,  my  seeming  indifference  to  the  real  pur 
pose  of  life,  I  set  fire  to  his  store. 

"I  hated  him  first  because  he  was  a  South 
erner  and  because  he  once  came  near  beating 
me  in  a  fight.  And  when  my  mother  twitted 
me  about  him  and  held  him  up  as  a  shining  ex 
ample  for  me  to  follow,  I  despised  him,  and 
thought  to  ruin  him  by  applying  the  torch  to 
his  prosperous  business. 

"But,  Judge,  your  honor,!  have  been  sorry 
a  thousand  times  for  the  deed.  My  soul  has 
oft  revolted  at  its  atrocity  and  I  have  suffered 
untold  agony. 

"But  a  few  days  ago  I  carried  the  matter  to 
a  court  far  superior  to  this  one  Judge,  your 
honor.  My  case  has  been  tried  and  settled  in 
the  Court  of  Courts,  and  I  do  not  rise  asking 
clemency  or  mercy  at  your  hands,  but  I  arise 
to  satisfy  my  conscience  and  to  disillution  those 
of  my  relatives  and  friends  who  have  stood  so 
loyally  by  me. 


"My  case  has  been  tried  and  settled    in  the 
Court  of  Courts." 


THE  TRIAL  195 

"A  term  in  prison  can  not  be  worse  than 
what  I  have  already  suffered. 

"So  fix  the  penalty  as  you  will.  You  and 
your  court  are  human.  You  do  not  understand 
the  workings  of  the  heart  like  the  Judge  who 
has  already  passed  on  my  case.  You  could  not 
forgive  the  offense,  and  I  would  not  have  you 
change  or  in  any  way  evade  the  law  in  my  be 
half.  I  am  willing  and  able  to  take  the  conse 
quences  as  the  law  provides. 

"I  am  an  awful  sinner  before  you  men,  but 
before  God  I  am  cleansed  and  a  changed  man. 
I  am  consoled  in  this  thought. 

"I  thank  you  Judge,  your  honor,  for  ex 
tending  to  me  this  privilege,  for  I  find  that  an 
open  confession  is  indeed  good  for  the  soul, 
and  I  feel  much  better  now  that  I  have  made 
it." 

George  took  his  seat  and  the  deathly  si 
lence  that  reigned  for  a  few  moments  after 
wards,  the  appearance  of  the  white  handker 
chief  here  and  there  in  audience,  and  the  occa 
sional  inelegant  blowing  of  a  nose,  told  that  his 
speech  had  had  its  effect. 

The  Judge  sat  motionless  for  a  few  mo 
ments,  not  knowing  what  to  say  or  do.  He 
gazed  steadfastly  at  George  the  while,  his  fine 


196  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

large  head  conspicuous  for  its  high  brow,  and 
smoothly  shaven  face  with  its  classical  features, 
wore  a  puzzled  look. 

At  length  he  said,  "George  Simmons,  your 
crime  is  a  low  down,  unprincipled  heinous  one, 
and  the  penalty  for  such,  is  not  less  than  five, 
or  more  than  twenty  years  at  hard  labor  in  the 
penitentiary,  and  had  you  not  at  this  late  hour 
made  the  plea  of  guilty,  I  suspect  you  would 
have  been  given  the  limit,  for  such  would  have 
surely  been  my  instructions  to  the  jury. 

"But  your  plea  has  helped  you,  though  ir 
regular  and  out  of  order,  it  is  frank,  earnest, 
and,  I  might  say  noble.  And  in  my  judgement 
I  do  not  think  it  studied  or  made  for  effect. 

"And  I  am  going  to  take  it  upon  myself  to 
dismiss  the  case  against  you.  I  think  this  act 
of  mercy,  or  clemency,  or  kindness  if  you 
please,  on  my  part  will  make  you  a  much  bet 
ter  man  than  the  penitentiary  possibly  can.  Pay 
the  cost  of  the  court  and  you  are  free!" 

The  Judge  spoke  slowly  and  deliberately, 
and  it  was  quite  a  relief  to  the  strain  on  the 
nerves  of  the  Simmons  family,  when  finally  he 
reached  the  place  where  he  said  that  he  was 
going  to  dismiss  the  case  against  George. 

George  thanked  the  Judge  for  his  kindness 


Come  and  meet  my  folks,"  said  George.    "I 
want  them  to  know  you." 


THE  TRIAL  199 

and  told  him  that  henceforth  a  straightforward 
Christian  life  was  the  life  for  him. 

He  then  went  over  to  Charles  Christopher 
and  extended  his  hand.  Charles  seized  it  firm 
ly,  and  fervently  congratulated  him  on  his 
speech  and  told  him  how  glad  he  was  to  have 
things  turn  out  as  they  had. 

"Come  and  meet  my  folks,"  said  George. 
"I  want  them  to  know  you." 

Court  having  been  dismissed,  Charles  fol 
lowed  George  to  where  his  mother  and  sister 
stood,  somewhat  embarrassed  at  George's  plea, 
yet  pleased  because  he  had  obtaided  his  liberty. 

"Mother  this  is  Mr.  Christopher  of  whom 
you  have  heard  so  much,"  said  George. 

"I  am  pleased  to  meet  you  Mr.  Christopher," 
returned  Mrs.  Simmons. 

"This  is  my  sister  Lillian,  Mr.  Christopher," 
said  George  presenting  Lillian  to  Charles. 

"I  am  delighted  to  meet  you  Miss  Sim 
mons,"  said  Charles  in  tender  accents  noticable 
only  to  Lillian  as  he  grasped  her  extended 
hand.  The  handshake  was  gentle,  but  to  save 
her  Lillian  could  not  help  giving  Charles  hand 
a  little  squeeze.  She  was  ashamed  afterwards? 
when  she  felt  the  same  returned  in  her  own 
hand. 


200  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

The  two  never  pretended  that  they  had 
met  before  or  that  they  were  in  any  way  ac 
quainted. 

Mrs.  Simmons  also  accepted  the  introduc 
tion,  without  saying,  "We  have  met  before." 

After  saying  a  few  words  about  the  weath 
er  and  the  time  of  day,  Mrs.  Simmons  announc 
ed  that  they  must  be  going. 

"Will  you  walk  with  us,  Mr.  Christopher?" 
she  asked. 

Without  answering  Charles  started  off 
with  them. 

When  they  reached  the  door  of  the  court 
room  Mrs.  Simmons  and  George  walked  ahead 
which  proceeding  threw  Lillian  and  Charles  to 
gether. 

Captain  Simmons  was  left  behind  because 
he  was  so  busy  receiving  congratulations,  and 
discussing  the  merits  of  George's  speech.  He 
was  proud  of  him  notwithstanding  his  guilt. 
Captain  Simmons  was  always  glad  to  show  off 
in  public,  and  the  speech  that  George  made, 
freeing  himself  from  the  clutches  of  the  law 
more  than  delighted  the  old  man. 

He  liked  to  hear  them  say  "He's  a  chip  off 
the  old  block."  So  he  lingered  about  town  all 
day  nearly  waiting  and  listening  for  such  com- 


THE  TRIAL  201 

pliments.  The  party  soon  reached  their  gate  and 
Charles  Christopher  was  invited  into  the  Sim 
mons  home.  He  and  Lillian  entered  the  parlor. 

"Have  a  seat  Mr.  Christopher,"  said  Lil 
lian,  pointing  to  a  near-by  chair. 

Alone,  the  two  seemed  to  be  very  much 
embarrassed,  and  for  a  long  time  they  were  at 
a  loss  to  know  what  to  say. 

It  seemed  to  Charles  that  the  whole  ma 
chinery  of  his  brain  was  ou  t  of  commission.  Try 
as  he  may,  it  would  produce  no  intelligent 
thought,  no  befitting  words  to  say  to  this 
beautiful  youn  g  woman  whom  he  loved  and  in 
whose  presence  he  now  found  himself. 

At  length,  after  what  seemed  to  be  an  age 
of  silence,  Lillian  was  the  first  to  speak. 

"Well  I  am  glad  that  the  ordeal  is  over," 
she  said,  as  she  rocked  to  and  fro  in  the  large 
chair. 

"We  have  all  been  so  worried,  and  poor 
George  seemed  to  suffer  so  much  mental  an 
guish,  that  I  was  really  afraid  fhat  he  might 
lose  his  mind." 

"I  am  glad  too  Miss  Lillian  that  the  great 
ordeal  is  over0'  said  Charles  pulling  his  chair 
up  close  to  Lillian's  side. 


202  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

Once  the  awful  silence  was  broken  the 
young  man  grew  bolder. 

Lillian  never  attempted  to  draw  away  from 
him,  neither  did  she  show  the  least  sign  of  dis 
pleasure  at  his  act.  She  smiled  faintly,  however, 
and  continued  to  discuss  the  trial  and  its  out 
come. 

*'I  am  truly  glad  that  your  brother  is  free  " 
said  Charles,  ''and  I  am  glad  to  see  you  and 
your  family  restored  to  happiness  again.  Would 
that  that  happiness  could  last  forever.  But 
happiness  is  fleeting,"  he  added,  as  he  thought 
of  his  own  struggles  and  triumps. 

"Yes  I  have  always  found  it  so,"  returned 
Lillian. 

After  another  brief  spell  of  silence,  Charles 
boldly  taking  Lillian's  hand,  said.  "I  have  rea 
sons  to  believe  that  you  care  for  me  Miss  Sim 
mons/' 

"I  do  indeed  ,"  she  returned.  "You  are  so 
kind  and  manly,  one  could  scarcely  keep  from 
caring  for  you," 

"Do  you  really  mean  it?"  he  asked. 

"Why  I  have  always  had  this  opinion  of 
you  Mr.  Christopher,  do  you  doubt  me?"  she 
asked  in  an  injured  tone. 

"Well  my  dear,"  he  said,  putting  his  arms 


THE  TRIAL  203 

around  her,  and  drawing  her  close  to  him,  "you 
mean  it,  then  this  is  the  brightest  day  of  my 
life.  I  am  truly  the  happiest  man  on  earth." 

Lillian  did  not  resist  him,  but  lay  quite 
still  with  her  head  resting,  sweetly  and  trust 
ingly  on  his  heaving  breast,  murmuring  partly 
to  herself  and  partly  to  him  who  now  held  her 
so  tenderly  in  his  strong  arms,  "I  love  you,  I 
love  you.  I  can  not  hide  it,  I  can  not  deny  it 
nor  do  I  care  to  do  so." 

And  thus  these  two,  whom  fate  had  for  so 
long  held  apart,  sat  in  silent  and  unspeakable 
bliss. 

Then  planting  kiss  after  kiss  upon  the  lips 
of  the  beautiful  girl.  Charles  asked,  "Lillian  my 
love  will  you  be  mine?" 

The  answer  came  in  accents,  sweet  and 
tender.  "Yes  Charles  I  will.  O  I  am  so  happy 
she  cried." 

Then  the  girl,  filled  with  rapture  and  emo 
tion,  gave  way  to  tears. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


THE  CONCLUSION 

The  title  of  our  story  is  "Lillian  Simmons," 
or  "The  Conflict  of  Sections,"  and  if  we  make 
too  much  of  the  courtship,  love  and  marriage 
of  Charles  Christopher  and  Lillian  Simmons, 
we  will  be  drifting  too  far  from  our  main  pur 
pose,  which  chiefly  is  to  call  attention  to  cer 
tain  social  evils  and  practices  nutured,  as  it 
were  by  false  notions  of  life  and  false  standards 
of  character  or  individual  worth,  and  which 
have  a  tendency  more  than  anything  else  to 
hold  us  down  and  impede  our  progress  as  a 
race. 

Do  you  remember  old  man  Littlejohn's 
speech  in  the  early  chapters  of  this  book? 

If  you  have  forgotten  it  turn  to  it  again 
and  read  it  over  carefully  and  you  will  get  a 
clear  idea  of  what  we  mean  by  certain  social 
eivls  and  practices  and  false  notions  of  life. 

While  we  deal  with  a  few  of  the  detriments 
to  the  growth  and  progress  of  the  race,  old 
204 


THE  CONCLUSION  205 

man  Littlejohn  in  his  unpolished  speech,  points 
out  several,  which  are  based  upon  prejudice, 
and  a  very  narrow  conception  of  the  true 
standards  of  society. 

It  is  at  these  things  that  we  are  striking. 
We  are  trying  to  unite  the  North  and  the  South. 
We  are  trying  to  get  them  to  think  along  the 
same  lines.  We  would  have  the  North  enter 
more  into  the  spirit  of  trade  and  commerce  for 
themselves,  and  we  would  have  the  South  de- 
velope  a  higher  spirit  of  manhood 
and  courage  to  protect  its  self  when  outraged. 
And  we  would  recommend  more  of  the  spirit  of 
unity  in  both  sections.  The  race  is  woefully 
lacking  in  unity  in  itself  both  North  and  South. 

Charles  Christopher's  success  in  the  gro 
cery  business,  in  this  Northern  city,  opened  up 
the  eyes  of  others  who  had  business  inclina 
tions,  but  not  the  initiative  or  the  confidence  in 
themselves  to  start.  Since  his  advent  several 
good  Negro  businesses  have  been  established. 
Two  more  grocery  stores,  one  drug  store,  a 
cleaning  and  dying  and  tailor  shop,  a  good 
restaurant,  which  caters  to  both  races,  a  con 
fectionary,  and  a  ladies  clothing  and  notion 
store  with  Mrs.  Simmons  as  proprietress. 


206  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

Charles  Christopher  has  taken  on  a  part 
ner.  The  sign  now  reads  in  large  letters, 
"Christopher  and  Simmons  Grocery  Store." 

Yes  Charles  Christopher  and  George  Sim 
mons  have  not  only  become  great  friends,  but 
they  have  also  become  brothers-in-law  and 
partners  in  a  very  prosperous  commercial  ven 
ture. 

A  Business  League  has  been  organized 
with  Charles  Christopher  as  its  president.  And 
such  harmony  and  progress  was  never  before 
known  in  this  city  among  the  colored  people. 

Northerners  and  Southerners  view  life 
through  the  same  glass  in  this  city.  They  are 
united  by  the  ties  of  friendship,  by  ties  of  busi 
ness  and  by  the  ties  of  matrimony.  It  is  diffi 
cult  to  break  such  a  combination. 

Think  of  the  Simmons  family's  earlier 
stand  against  Southern  colored  people,  and 
think  of  their  stand  now. 

They  are  converted  to  the  idea  of  Negro 
enterprise  even  if  it  does  invite  segregation. 
They  have  become  convinced  that  separate 
schools  are  not  harmful,  but  are  a  positive  ben 
efit  to  the  race.  They  furnish  employment  for 
the  worthy  boys  and  girls  of  the  race  and  are 
inducements  for  them  to  pursue  the  higher 


United  by  the  ties  of  business  and  by  the  ties 
of  love. 


THE  CONCLUSION  209 

courses  of  learning  and  to  strive  to  excel  in 
them. 

Captain  Simmons  now  believes  in  them 
and  Frank  Maxwell  offers  no  serious  objections 
to  them. 

Hence  they  have  a  colored  school  that  can 
not  be  excelled  in  efficiency  of  teaching  force, 
and  in  equipment  anywhere  in  the  country. 

Lillian  Simmons  recommended  one  of  her 
Southern  associates  for  a  position  in  the  school. 
She  is  a  beautiful  Southern  girl,  from  a  South 
ern  university.  Mrs.  Simmons,  who  used  to 
look  upon  a  Southern  College  as  a  joke,  and 
its  graduates  as  ignoramuses,  loves  her,  and 
admires  her  for  her  intelligence  and  scholar 
ship.  The  young  woman  makes  her  home  with 
Lillian,  and  George  Simmons  is  a  constant  call 
er.  It  is  rumored  that  there  is  soon  to  be 
another  wedding  in  the  Simmons  family. 

Three  years  have  passed  since  the  day  of 
the  trial  and  George  has  proven  himself  worthy 
of  the  companionship  of  any  young  woman. 

The  city  boasts  of  one  colored  dentist  and 
one  physician. 

Frank  Maxwell  is  no  longer  custodian  of  a 
down  town  bank  building,  but  has  again  taken 
up  his  profession  and  practice  as  a  lawyer,  and 


210  LILLIAN  SIMMONS 

his  people  are  patronizing  him.  He  often  lec 
tures  to  them,  and  is  now  advocating  the  doc 
trine  of  unity,  and  patronage  of  ones  own  en 
terprises. 

Six  years  have  passed  since  that  great 
mass  meeting  in  which  so  much  prejudice  and 
hatred  was  poured  forth  in  eloquent  outbursts, 
in  which  so  many  false  notions  and  ideas  were 
advanced.  One  could  scarcely  believe  such  a 
radical  change  could  take  place  in  so  short  a 
time.  They  are  all  a  happier  •  and  a  wiser  lot 
now,  and  Charles  Christopher  sees  in  reality 
what  he  pictured  the  day  he  entered  the  city, 
in  quest  of  a  suitable  place  to  begin  business. 
The  subconscious  feeling,  the  day  dream,  and 
the  castle  built  in  the  air,  an  hour  just  before 
entering  in  the  city  that  day,  have  become  as 
truly  real  for  him  as  such  things  often  do. 
Charles  Christopher  is  a  worthy  leader  of  his 
people,  a  prosperous  business  man  and  the 
husband  of  the  beautifu  Lillian  Simmons.  He 
has  not  only  enabled  the  family  to  pay  off  their 
harrassing  debts,  but  he  owns  his  home  which 
was  built  and  fashioned  to  Lillian's  own  taste. 

Lillian  and  Charles  think  as  much  of  their 
baby  girl  as  the  "Newly  Weds"  do  of  "Snook- 


?33537 


L5 

n/s 


